Inside the fake traffic fine scam: Police reveal how seven suspects were arrested
The Ghana Police Service has uncovered and dismantled what investigators describe as a carefully structured cyber fraud network that exploited public trust in law enforcement by issuing fake electronic traffic violation notices.
The fraudulent messages, which circulated widely over the past week, falsely appeared to originate from the Police Service and directed recipients to click on links to settle alleged traffic fines. According to investigators, the links led to payment channels designed to siphon funds from unsuspecting victims through a chain of mobile money transfers.
Speaking at the National Police Headquarters in Accra on Thursday, Chief Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng disclosed that seven individuals had been arrested following a targeted intelligence-led operation.
“Seven suspects have been taken into custody, all of whom are assisting with ongoing investigations,” he confirmed.
Police said the investigation revealed a layered financial structure intended to disguise the movement of funds. Proceeds from victims were reportedly routed through multiple mobile money accounts before being consolidated by Martha Quarshie, identified as a vendor operating in Ada.
Her arrest and subsequent interrogation led officers to Prosper Otumfour, whom authorities describe as the central architect of the scheme. He was apprehended at his residence in Winneba. A search of the premises yielded GH¢4,188 in cash, several SIM cards, mobile phones and laptops believed to have been used in orchestrating the fraud.
Further operations resulted in the arrest of Robert Akplehe and Christian Akplehe, both mobile money vendors, as well as Michael Edem Amemornu, who investigators say received portions of the fraudulent proceeds. Searches at their homes and workplaces uncovered additional electronic devices, SIM cards, bank cards and cash amounting to several thousand cedis.
Police investigations suggest that Prosper Otumfour registered Telecel Cash SIM cards in the names of associates, including some of the suspects, to collect payments from victims. The funds were then transferred to Martha Quarshie, who redistributed them through a web of accounts, creating what investigators describe as a deliberate effort to obscure the origin and final destination of the money.
All seven suspects — Martha Quarshie, Peter Ofori McCarthy, Alfred Kofi Totimeh, Prosper Otumfour, Robert Akplehe, Christian Akplehe and Michael Edem Amemornu — remain in custody and are expected to be charged before court. Police say efforts are ongoing to identify additional collaborators.
The coordinated operation was carried out across Accra, Ada and Winneba, with police commending the officers involved for their swift and methodical execution.
In response to the incident, the Police Service announced that it is advancing plans to introduce an automated traffic enforcement system, Traffitech-GH, aimed at strengthening transparency and limiting opportunities for fraud in the issuance of traffic penalties. The initiative is being developed in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Transport, the National Road Safety Authority, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority and the Ministry of Finance.
The Police Service reaffirmed its commitment to protecting citizens from cyber-enabled crime and warned that individuals who misuse its name or systems to perpetrate fraud would face decisive legal action.
