By Our Reporter
There’s a new wave of fraud in Uganda where scammers are using fake cheques and other documents like LPOs (Local Purchase Orders) that has left many companies on the brink of closure.
Billions have been lost, and more companies are set to lose if there’s no vigilance.
From 2021, many manufacturers, importers and suppliers have fallen victim of this new wave of crime where thieves have disguised as employees to defraud companies colossal sums of monies.
They have formed organized criminal syndicates who approach companies through the use of both electronic mails (E-mail) and phone calls where they negotiate on matters pertaining the transaction. They will then
ask you to send an invoice using a company name you usually supply, then issue an LPO together with a cheque which is very difficult to tell that it is fake.
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Based on the previous cases and attempts, the gang of thieves then hire innocent truck drivers to pick the goods while the thieves monitor from a distance and send further instructions to the supplier through phone calls. Several companies which we cannot name because of ongoing investigations have been duped by this gang of thieves.
Mr. Jimmy Mutesasira, the Head of Marketing for Picfare Group said many of our suppliers who we know and those we have not worked with have fallen victims of this scam pretending to be our employees and using fake documents from Picfare. The fraudsters have also pretended to be working for other manufacturers and cheated suppliers from upwards of Shs100 million at ago.
Mr. Mutesasira speaking on behalf of Picfare Group warned the public and companies to be more vigilant and report any suspicious persons to police.
A one Shivy Reddy has been at the centre of this scam.
“As Picfare, we warn the public not to accept documents signed by Shiv Reddy as he is not known to us and not to accept these said cheques and LPOs or supply anything without due diligence from our head office and other companies,” Mutesasira said.
Many cases have been reported by different manufacturers and suppliers and some of the thieves have been arrested and detained at different police stations like Jinja Road, CPS, Old Kampala among others.
Cases such as No SD Ref: 94/14/07/2022 have been registered.
However the criminal masterminds- that include an Indian national- are still at large and are being hunted for by police.
This communication has been put for the attention of the Deputy Police spokesperson Luke Owesigirye to alert the public over this increasing scam that is causing Ugandans to loses worth millions.
More shocking details to follow…
