How former Masavu FC proprietor fleeced millions of shillings in mobile money scam

Police in Kira has arrested one Tony Ssozi, also known as David Kamya, the former proprietor of the defunct Uganda Premier League side Masavu Football Club for fleecing thousands of Ugandans, millions of shillings in mobile money scam.

After being relegated from the Uganda Premier League at the climax of the 2017/18 season, Masavu FC changed the name to Entebbe FC after the proprietor sold it.

According to Kampala Metropolitan deputy Police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, Ssozi, who also calls himself Masavu senior was arrested on Tuesday after being alerted by some of his victims.

“He was arrested in Bweyogerere after doing the same kind of act and upon searching his brand new car, 51 phones some of which he had swapped from other places lines were also recovered,”Owoyesigyire told the Nile Post.

How he operates

In the past, a number of mobile money agents have lost huge sums of money to conmen and according to police, Masavu senior is part of the gang and that he operates along Entebbe road, Wakiso, Kiran, Nansana and other areas in the greater Kampala Metropolitan area where he swaps phones for mobile money agents and withdraws all the money.

“According to statements recorded from his victims, it is alleged that he goes to a mobile money shop, pretends to be sending money but decides to give a wrong and non-existing number. The agent phone will not be able send money but will instead show a message that" this number cannot receive money",” Owoyesigyire explained to this website.

The police publicist says that on failure to send the money, the suspect asks the mobile money agent to continue trying as he memorises the secret pin before he offers to return to the vehicle to find the solution.

“He then tells the mobile money agent of how he needs to return to his vehicle to pick another number. When he goes to the vehicle, he picks a phone which is the exact make as one used by the agent to carry out transactions.”

According to police, for the second time, the suspect reads a non-existent number for the agent to send money.

“At this point, he tells the mobile money agent to give him the phone to be able to read the message himself. When he gets an agent's phone, he swaps it with another phone similar to the one used by the agent and disappears in thin air.”

Owoyesigyire said the former Masavu FC proprietor was arrested trying to fleece a mobile money agent in Bweyogere and on search, a total of 51 mobile phones were found in his vehicle as well as several sim cards suspected to have been got from his victims.

“He will be arraigned before courts of law on charges of theft,” Owoyesigyire noted.