Notorious ‘Fraudster’ Remanded to Prison in MMG Scam Case
— Suspect linked to years-long series of mobile money frauds
April 4, 2025 – Mohamed Ali, a man identified as a key suspect in a series of mobile money (MMG)-related frauds, has been remanded to prison following his court appearance today at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Ali, who has been under investigation for over four years by the Criminal Investigation Department’s Major Crime and Cyber Crime Units, was fingered in multiple scams involving the impersonation of MMG agents.
According to a police report, these schemes often involved tricking unsuspecting victims into revealing one-time passwords (OTPs), which were then used to access and siphon funds from their accounts.
Other fraudulent operations reportedly linked to the suspect include fake rental apartment listings, bogus house lot promotions, and fictitious motor vehicle sales.
On March 29, 2025, Ali allegedly contacted Shelon Whitney, who was in Suriname at the time, claiming to be an MMG agent. He told Whitney that her account required an urgent update and persuaded her to share her OTP. Whitney’s 16-year-old daughter, under the belief that she was assisting a legitimate representative, provided the password, allowing the suspect to transfer $113,000 from the account.
Shortly after, Ali reportedly arranged to meet the teenager in person, claiming MMG was offering a special promotion. At Stabroek Market, the teen handed over an additional $625,000 in cash to the suspect. When the scam was realized, the matter was reported to MMG, the Stabroek Market Police Outpost, and later to the Cyber Crime Unit.
Following intelligence leads, police arrested Ali at a location on High Street, Georgetown. Several mobile phones were seized from his residence and later confirmed by forensic analysis to have been used in the execution of the fraud.
During an identification parade, the 16-year-old positively identified Ali as the man who collected the money. Additionally, CCTV footage from the market showed Ali wearing specific clothing at the scene. Those items were later recovered from a suitcase at his premises and lodged as evidence.
Appearing before Magistrate Fabayo Azore in Court 3, Ali was formally charged and pleaded not guilty. He was remanded to prison until the next court hearing, set for May 16, 2025.
Authorities have indicated that further investigations are ongoing and additional charges may be brought against Ali in relation to similar scams involving other victims.
(Guyana Police Force)
