Equity Bank Uganda has come under fire after two customers complained that money was withdrawn without their knowledge from their accounts.
She says that a few days later, 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 told the Red Pepper.
Ahebwa said that she went to report the matter to the bank manager who later told her the matter would be resolved internally within the bank. She also reported the matter to Central Police Station in Kampala on December, 19, 2022 through Case number: SD 44/19/12/2022.
Since then, the client said she has failed to get assistance from the bank after being tossed around.
“Please echo my pain. The money is for the family.” Equity Bank’s manner has been ice cold. Sadistic, even.” Lamented the client.
Another bank client, Maxwell Lawrence Muyonjo has also admitted to having fallen victim to the fraud when he was robbed of UGx30.6 million (Sh1.02 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. I reported the issue to Equity bank and also logged a case with Central Police Station,” Muyonjo has told Ugandan media.
He says that on January, 19, 2023, he received response from Equity Bank detailing how the fraud happened but says he was not convinced by the explanation.
“The feedback shared states that the thieves reset my mobile banking PIN and received OTP since they had my sim card. However, they completed the second level of authentication using my VISA Card. But the VISA Card was in my possession and still is till to date. They cannot explain how they obtained my card details,” he said.
Equity Bank said investigations into the circumstances under which these incidents happened are still ongoing.
“Our attention has been drawn to an issue circulating on social media . We wish to confirm the incident has been given due attention and is being handled with the seriousness it dserves,” the bank said in a statement.
Equity however said they cannot divulge further information in regards the incident that is still being investigated.
“We are also in close contact with the customer to ensure the matter is brought to a closure.”
