A man long suspected of orchestrating a string of mobile money scams has been remanded to prison after appearing before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Thursday in connection with yet another fraud case, this time involving a teenage girl and over $700,000 in stolen funds.
Mohamed Ali, whose name has surfaced repeatedly during multiple investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Major Crime Unit, and Cyber Crime Unit, was charged with obtaining money by false pretence. For the past four years, these agencies have been actively probing a string of fraud involving MMG transactions, with Ali frequently named as a key suspect due to his consistent modus operandi.
Mohamed Ali
The scams typically include persons posing as MMG agents, tricking victims into disclosing their one-time passwords (OTPs) and gaining unauthorised access to their accounts. Other related schemes under investigation include fake apartment rentals, house lot scams, and bogus vehicle sales.
In this most recent case, which unfolded on March 29, the accused reportedly contacted virtual complainant Shelon Whitney, who was in Suriname at the time, under the guise of being an MMG agent. Ali allegedly claimed that Whitney’s account required urgent updating and succeeded in persuading the woman to disclose the necessary OTPs. Using the information, he accessed the account and transferred $113,000 to himself.
Investigators said that after gaining access to the account, Ali continued to manipulate the situation by contacting Whitney’s 16-year-old daughter. He convinced the teen that MMG was running a special promotion and arranged to meet her in person. That meeting took place at Stabroek Market, where the teenager handed over an additional $625,000 to the suspect.
When the scam was discovered, the incident was reported to MMG, the Stabroek Market Police Outpost, and subsequently to the Cyber Crime Unit. Acting on intelligence, police ranks carried out an operation at High Street, Georgetown, where they arrested Ali. During the search, several cellular phones were seized from the premises and later analysed by the Cyber Crime Unit, which allegedly confirmed that the devices had been used in the commission of the fraud.
Police said on Friday that an identification parade was conducted shortly after the arrest, and the 16-year-old positively identified Ali as the man who had collected the money. Investigators also obtained CCTV footage from the area, which showed the suspect at the scene dressed in specific clothing. A search of his premises turned up those very items in a suitcase, which were then lodged as evidence.
Ali appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore and bail was denied. The case will continue on May 16.
