Lagos cleric accuses online firm of N351,169 fraud

A Lagos-based Islamic cleric, Abdulrasheed Alaseye, is struggling to support his family after allegedly being scammed of N351,169 by an online company that claimed to offer SIM card subscription services to its customers.

Alaseye told our correspondent on Tuesday that his business activities, including paying his daughter’s tuition fees, had been put on hold since the company allegedly took his money, promising to make him a recharge card dealer in Lagos.

A review of the company’s X.com handle by According to Metro revealed a post advertising, “Become a Certified Recharge Card Dealer at your location.”

Our correspondent learnt that the victim contacted the company, Tab Trading Services, about being a SIM card subscription dealer and his intentions to become its sub-dealer in Lagos State on August 19, 2024.

He narrated, “They asked me to make a payment. So, on August 19, 2024, I made the first transfer right after paying the registration fee of N1,950. The total amount I paid that day was N89,919. However, I noticed they kept requesting additional payments, so I eventually asked for a refund after I had made payments of N351,169.

“When I requested a refund, they asked me to pay an additional sum before they could process it. I agreed but asked them to deduct it from the amount they owed me. On August 28, they sent me a form to fill out, which I completed and returned right away. They promised to refund the money after 29 working days.

“However, nearly 80 days have passed, and they still haven’t refunded my money. At one point, they said they couldn’t pay me because one of their staff members was unwell. I’m pleading with Nigerians to help me. I had to sell some of my belongings to make that payment. My eldest child is at a federal university, and I can’t afford to send her money for her upkeep. I’m devastated and in desperate need of my money back.”

Meanwhile, a man identifying himself only as Ken, who claimed to be a director of the firm, told our correspondent in a telephone interview on October 25, 2024, that the money would be refunded by October 30, 2024.

Ken had stated, “He registered to become a dealer in Lagos State. Our role is to train people, provide them with the necessary resources, and guide them on the documentation process with network operators as dealers. When he registered, we explained the steps involved.

“We reached a point where we could no longer proceed. We informed him that we would refund him, with the payment to be made after 29 working days. We also told him there would be accrued charges of around N53,000. When he said he didn’t have the money, we asked him to sign a form authorising the deduction from his refund, and he agreed.

“However, we were unable to process the deduction. We continued updating him, but he insisted on receiving his money back. We never denied receiving his payment or claimed we wouldn’t return it. He’s making it seem like we’re the villains here. I’m not sure why he urgently needs the money. We’re asking him to be patient, as we plan to refund him manually on Tuesday, October 30.”

According to Metro further discovered that when the deadline passed, the company issued a payment of N1,999, explaining that the amount was based on how the funds were credited to its account.

As of the time this report was filed on Tuesday, no refund had been issued.