Kampala, (UG): Equity Bank Uganda Ltd, one of the most respected banking institutions in the country has yet again been engulfed in a fraud scandal after a video of a disgruntled customer hit the social media waves early this week pinning it for fraudulently withdrawing 10 million shillings from his account.
The video comes at the heels of increasing customers who have since flocked the bank’s social media accounts crying over mysterious and unauthorized withdraw of their hard-earned money from their accounts without a clear explanation or bank statement to justify the withdrawals.
In the one minute video recorded inside the Equity Bank Head Office at Church House in Kampala, the yet-to-be identified customer who filmed himself accuses the bank of ‘stealing’ Ugx10m off his account with no justification for why the withdraw was made.
The client says after this fraudulent action, the bank has ignored him since then without giving any single help.
“Whoever has money in Equity Bank Uganda rush and withdrawal your money now. These are thieves. They stole my Ugx10m and now they are running away from me. All the staff are running away,” complains a ‘sweatful’ client in the viral video clip.
Bank speaks out
In a response to the viral video, Equity Bank yesterday released a statement acknowledging that they were aware of the customers claims and that they are engaging and supporting him as well as working with the relevant authorities to resolve the matter.
“Our attention has been drawn to messages circulating on social media in relation to an alleged fraudulent activity on the account of one of our customers amounting to Ushs10 Million. Whereas we are bound by the client confidentiality rule and therefore cannot disclose customer interactions in the media, we wish to reiterate our message to all our customers that in the event of loss of their phone, they should immediately report to the bank through our 24/7 customer helpline 0312 327000,” reads Equity Bank’s statement.
Previous Scandals
In February 2023, the bank was put on spot for emptying a one Rose Ahebwa’s account that she opened up in December 2022.
She claimed that a few days later after the above date, the customer service of the bank called to advise her to subscribe to a number of products including mobile banking, but she rejected before the call hang up.
A few hours later, I discovered via the teller where I had gone to make a transaction that my account had a balance of only shs27,000,” Ahebwa said, adding that when she took matters to the bank manager, she was told not to report to police with a promise that her case was to be handled something that didn’t happen.
Another bank client, Maxwell Lawrence Muyonjo also admitted to having fallen victim to the fraud when he was robbed of shs30.6 million through mobile banking on December, 16.
“I lost my mobile phone in the night and the next day on December, 17, someone accessed my mobile banking by managing to reset my mobile banking PIN and withdrawing or transferring up to shs30.6 million out of the account and to top it off, applying for a shs500,00 instant loan.”
Do you have a story or an opinion to share? Email us on: [email protected] Or join the Daily Express WhatsApp channel for all the latest news and trends or join the Telegram Channel for the latest updates.
