Fake NIA officer jailed 30 days for defrauding Ghana Card applicants

A man who impersonated an official of the National Identification Authority (NIA) to defraud applicants at its Regional Office in Accra has been sentenced to 30 days imprisonment by the Gbese District Court.

According to a Facebook post by the NIA on Thursday, June 25, the convict, identified as Fidelis Samuel Mensah, posed as an employee of the Authority and approached members of the public under the pretext of assisting them with Ghana Card registration and update services.

Investigations revealed that he succeeded in deceiving victims and unlawfully obtained cash, mobile phones, and personal documents from applicants who believed he could facilitate their registration processes.

He was arrested following a joint operation by the NIA Police Investigation Unit and the staff of the Authority.

He subsequently pleaded guilty to charges of stealing and defrauding by false pretenses and was convicted on his own plea.

The NIA has urged the public to remain vigilant and to deal only with authorised officials at designated service centres in order to avoid falling victim to such schemes.