Fraudsters Target Film Stars

Popular actress Vivian Jill and some of her colleague film makers have fallen victim to the activities of a well-organized fraud syndicate operating in Accra and Kumasi.

The lead-swindler, who goes by the name, “Mr. Solomon”, hides under the ploy of wanting to contract the film stars to case in a television commercial for his company.

This proposal would then open a direct conversational link between Mr. Solomon and the unsuspecting movie stars, who he ends up duping various amounts of money.

He is yet to be arrested.

Duped Movie Stars

Aside Vivian Jill, top movie stars such as Maame Serwaa and her sister, Diana, are also reported to have been duped by Mr. Solomon, who is suspected to be continuing with his lucrative fraud business.

Comedy actor, Salenko, according to reports, nearly fell victim to the swindling acts of Mr. Solomon, but he (Salenko) was saved at the eleventh hour by his vigilant wife.

Vivian Jill was the first to make this public through an audio recording she circulated on social media

Solomon’s Modus Operandi

Vivian Jill narrates Mr. Solomon called her phone and asked for a meeting between the two, regarding an advert that he wanted her (Vivian) to film for his company.

She noted that Mr. Solomon then decided to travel from Accra to Kumasi so they can conclude on how much Vivian would take for filming the advert for his company at Spintex Road in Accra.

According to her, on the way coming to Kumasi, Mr. Solomon said his car got involved in a minor accident with a police vehicle.

Mr. Solomon claimed his car smashed the tail light of the police vehicle and that the police were demanding an amount of GH¢1,200 before they would let him continue his journey to Kumasi.

According to her, Mr. Solomon said he only had an amount GH¢400 on him at the time so he called her (Vivian) on phone to send GH 800 through mobile money to the police, promising to refund the money on his arrival at Kumasi.

Vivian narrated further that she did not suspect any foul play at the time so she obliged and sent the GH¢800 to the mobile money account of one Bernard Ayiku, who claimed to be one of the  policemen that had detained Mr. Solomon.

A few minutes later, Mr. Solomon called Vivian again on phone, this time, with a new excuse that some police officers have found a gun in his car and they are demanding an additional GH¢1,000 so she should again send GH¢1,000 to him, assuring to refund it to her.

About two hours later, she said, Mr. Solomon called and this time he said his car had developed a fault following an earlier crash with the police car and the mechanics were demanding GH¢400 so she (Vivian) should send the money.

“Mr. Solomon then gave the phone to the supposed mechanic to talk to me and I began to sense foul play when the mechanic told me that I should send GH¢200 to him if I don’t have the GH¢400 that he is demanding to repair the car with me.

“I refused to send the money to the mechanic and from then on he (Solomon) stopped picking my calls so I became convinced that he is a corn man.”

Vivian then said she was sending the details about the GH¢800 that she sent to her manager to check at the MTN office “and I mistakenly sent the details to my whatsApp status.

“Diana, the sister of our own Maame Serwaa, then saw the name of Bernard Ayiku and she asked if I know him. I narrated my story to her and she also said Mr. Solomon had used the same strategy to dupe her and Maame Serwaa.

“I then informed Nana Ama McBrown because it was through her that I got Mr. Solomon’s contact and she said she got to know Mr. Solomon through Salenko. And when we called Salenko he said Mr. Solomon tried using the same trick to dupe him but the vigilance of his (Salenko’) wife saved him”.

Vivian said “I can see there is someone there who wants to dupe movie stars in the country with a non-existent juicy advertising contract. I have fallen victim and so I am recording this audio to warn my colleague actors to be vigilant”.

By: Afia Sarpong Amankwa/ thePublisher