Florence Uwaeme
Few years ago, withdrawing money from one’s bank account was as hectic as making the money itself, if not more hectic. This is due to the out-numbered ATM around town. One would have to wait for two hours or more before he/she can make a withdrawal.
This problem however, was made less chaotic by mobile money vendors, popularly known as POS vendors who made it possible for people to withdraw their money without hassles only with a lite charge. These mobile money vendors/POS vendors can be seen on almost every street here in Port Harcourt. In fact, almost every street has at least four POS vendors or more. In my street, there are five mobile money vendors on it. These vendors have saved several people from the anguish of standing in queues for too long at different banks and also saving their customers both time and money.
The mobile money business is currently under attack in some areas in Port Harcourt. Some of these attacks are as a result of an already deficient society. One of the vendors whom I made her acquaintance relayed to me how they have become easy targets to hooligans and pick-pockets. According to her, she lost a whooping sum of hundred thousand Naira to these thieves two days ago. While narrating her story, it was obvious she was swindled of the money in the taxi she entered. She said she was in the taxi with her handbag intact. But on alighting from the taxi, she felt she still had her bag and money but before she could turn around to look at the cab, her handbag was no longer there.
Also Read: No Going Back On Regional Security Network Creation – Okowa
This, of course is one of the numerous ways these criminals steal from these vendors – who are mostly sales persons of the mobile money operator, thereby putting these sales persons in trouble.
One of the other ways these cheap criminals steal from these vendors is by pretending to make a transfer. Last weekend at Rumuokoro, one vendor was almost swindled of huge amounts of money before she raised alarm. According to her, the customer asked her to make a deposit to his account in exchange for a cash deposit. As she made the deposit, the said customer disappeared to thin air. This customer noticed that the vendor went inside to pick something, he disappeared. Luckily for this vendor, there were young men around her shop as of that moment. Immediately she raised alarm, the customer was pursued and caught at Rumuagholu.
The tales of what these vendors go through is unimaginable. Vendors should be extra careful while boarding taxis and in general, they should limit the risks of being robbed by hiring an armed escort.
