How a woman was defrauded of N600K by her Bank in Edo

(image:Pixabay) illustration only

It could happen to you..just be careful out there.

These days, almost every bank in Nigeria has mobile application to make banking easy and convenient for their customers. Some of the apps from some Banks in Nigeria, are very easy and efficient to use, and make banking enjoyable. But some apps from some banks are so difficult to set up and use, because they are so clumsy and poorly designed.


On one fateful and happy day, when it seem nothing could go wrong. She went to the bank in the city, to help her activate a mobile app of the bank, because the app was difficult for her to set up and activate by herself.


When she got to this bank, she was directed to the staff, who was in charge of customers complaint and mobile banking app assistance.

little did she know that she would also fall prey, on that day and become a victim of bank fraud.

She had trusted the banking staff, thinking that as she was in their banking hall, she was safe and secure and she had no reason to be afraid of being defrauded. She had thought all bank workers would be sincere and honest in their jobs.

The banking staff, in assisting her with the mobile banking app, had requested for her android phone, so as to assist with their problematic mobile banking app activation.

As if that was not enough, he had also requested for her ATM card, and then after fumbling with the card in his hand with the pretence of using it for the mobile app, he also requested for her ATM Pin. She trustfully gave him the details too. she felt he could be trusted as she was in their bank, and he was the banking staff in charge of mobile applications. She had no reason to be suspicious or scared.

Problem started at about 7.00pm of that same day. It was on a Friday. She started getting miraculous and ridiculous SMS alerts, of frivolous POS purchases from her bank account. It happened continuously, over the next couple of days, until the amount was over N600k. It happened on a friday, and through the weekend when the banks were closed.


So by the following week-day, she had gone to the bank to complain to the bank manager, but the bank had denied any wrong doing, and instead accused her of being careless with her card, rather than assure her of investigating it.


While in tears, she went to the police station to report. She was told to bring N15k, for them to start investigation and track the money and the criminal.


She was so psychologically heart-broken, depressed and devastated, and she almost lost her mind and life too.

After so much stress and tears, she was adviced by people to go to the CBN branch in the state to report and also to go to the EFCC office in the state, to report too. She has done all these and was told to give them enough time for proper investigation and to track and recover the money.

If you were in her shoes, what would you do?
Has this happened to you or anyone close to you?

How did they handle it? were they able to get all their money back?
How long did it take to get their money back? How painful or stressful was it?