Client’s pain: How Nao Abalo lost over Shs 28 million in online banking fraud
By Nao Abalo
(Verbatim)
On 13/9/22 lost my phone n lost 28m on an acc at GT Bank thru internet banking n yet I did not sign up for the product on this acc.I asked the bank to explain how that acc was accessed n they refused to show me my acc opening form n blamed me for not calling them after phone loss.
I need justice from whoever can help A thread about my WORST EXPERIENCE EVER This is me on 13th/9/2022 boarded a taxi from home and headed to town to carry on with my business midway the journey the lady sitting next to me gets out and a middle aged man sits next to me,
I soon get a call from an unknown client asking about the location of my shop, I explain to her where my shop is and put back the phone in my bag. A few minutes later we are on Bombo road heading to Kampala road and the conductor asks for his money from all clients I reach my bag
And take out money then extend my hand forward to give the conductor my fare little did I know that my nbr had reached my bag n got out my phone. He shortly asked to leave the taxi n was let out at sure house. Towards shell Kampala road I also asked to get out since had reached
Just before getting out I lifted my bag n it felt unusually light so I checked inside n dint see my phone I started searching on my thighs, on my seat,under my seat n literally everywhere around me…everyone noticed n asked what was wrong and I told them I can’t see my phone.
They suggested I call it to see if it will ring in the taxi,I had a smaller phone with my Airtel line so I called my phone it rang severally but not in the taxi then is when I realized my phone had been stolen by the guy that just got out,I was shaking and calling endlessly
I didn’t get out from the taxi untill we reached city square. It was raining heavily but just walked to my shop in the rain still not believing what had happened. When I reached my shop I called my sister since my MTN line was registered in her names to call MTN n block the line
I later went to CPS and reported the loss of my phone and told my sister to go to the police and get a letter for simcard renewal which she did the next morning on 14th/9/22 but the card was not activated untill 15th/9/22 around noon.
I later went to CPS and reported the loss of my phone and told my sister to go to the police and get a letter for simcard renewal which she did the next morning on 14th/9/22 but the card was not activated untill 15th/9/22 around noon
Because I had over 3m on that account,I then asked for all balances on my 3 accounts held at the Gtbank and the branch manager asked me to wait as she checks the system,after about 30minutes she comes and tells me all my funds had been withdrawn on 13th & 14th/9/22.
I burst out crying in disbelief n later asked her that how is it possible that both of my shillings accounts were stolen from? Because I had only applied for mobile banking n internet banking on one of the accounts that I used for operating my business and not on the 2nd account
She then said the 2nd account was accessed using internet banking n told me she couldn’t help me further n that I should go to their head office.I reached there n the stuff at E-banking department told me that all funds had been cashed out from the numbers that received the cash
I then asked them to explain how my 28m left the 2nd account using internet banking service that I never applied for when I opened the account in Jan 2020 after I left the bank as an employee and the IT team said I had applied for internet banking in 2018 as seen in their system.
I told them that in 2018 I was still a stuff at the bank n held a stuff account n my 1st savings account where I had applied for mobile n internet banking to be able to explain to clients how the product works but when I left the bank my stuff account was closed by the bank.
The bank cudnt explain to me further so I asked for my account statements and reported the loss of funds to police and some police offered to track the thieves using the numbers that received the cash but nothing came out of that @UgandaPolice
On the 19th/9/22 I wrote a letter to Gtbank demanding an explanation of how my 2nd account was accessed since I had not applied for internet banking n requested them to accept responsibility for the loss of the 28m on that account and make a refund I got no response @DPFUganda
At end of week I went to see the MD of Gtbank Mr. Oluwole Shodiyan n he said the issue had reached him n the bank is conducting an audit n that he will personally call me with a response next morning.The next morning he called to tell me that the report is his desk @BOU_Official
And that a bank official will call me to discuss the audit results before close of business same day.I received an email past 7pm saying that my relationship manager has a letter which responds to my complaint. Saturday morning I went and picked the letter from their HQ
No one sat with me to talk about the whole issue the letter was handed to me and this is what the bank had to say,that I dint call them when the phone was stolen, that for my 1st account I had applied for mobile n internet banking, that the line that got lost was not in my names
That the 28m on my 2nd account was withdrawn using internet banking information that already existed in their system n that I should seek for resolution about my loss from MTN. The bank refused to show me my account opening forms which show that I dint apply for internet banking
I lost a total of 31.7m but I reasonably dint ask for the 3.7m on my 1st account because as such I had applied for mobile banking on it n the loss of my phone had compromised my information, the bank should have protected my 2nd account as I hadn’t applied for internet banking.
I have lost all my savings and business money and the bank could care less after promising safety to depositors.
The writer is a former staff of GT Bank Uganda.
