First Bank official offered to help customer with a transaction, then N850,100 vanished

By Opeyemi Lawal

Enitan Adebayo (not real name), a Benin-based author, has recounted how N850,100 was stolen from her First Bank account after an official of the bank offered to help her complete a transaction.

Adebayo told FIJ she was at the Sapele branch of the bank to deposit money into her friends’ accounts when the N850,100 was deducted from her account alongside the amounts she authorised.

“On November 8, I received a contribution sum from my friends. The fund was to be sent to them the following day,” Adebayo told FIJ.

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“The next day, I went to First Bank, Sapele branch, Benin, to fill transfer forms to send the money to my friends.

“I filled the forms and requested that my account be debited in tranches of N600,000, N600,000, N1,460,000, N720,000 and N210,000. The cashier then asked me to leave, saying the transaction would be completed.”

The author said after she left the bank’s premises, she went to withdraw and then noticed the money was still in her account. She added that she returned to the banking hall to complain, and when the debits came in, she was told someone had gained unauthorised access into her account and stolen N850,100.

“Hours later, I went to use the ATM of the same bank to withdraw N20,000. I then noticed the amount I filled in the transfer forms was yet to be debited,” she said.

“I returned to the same cashier who attended to me, and he said he had made the transactions and that I didn’t get debit alerts due to network issues.

“An hour later, I received debit notifications to show the transfers had been effected, but I also noticed that an extra N850,100 had left my account. I hurried back into the banking hall to complain to the cashier, who referred me to Mrs. Pat, a customer care representative.

“It was the customer care representative who told me that my account was hacked and my money had been stolen and sent into a Sporty Bet account.”

Adebayo further stated that Mr. Sylvester, the branch manager, could not explain how her account was hacked but accused her of compromising her details.

“I also tried to speak with Mr. Sylvester, the manager, and he told me to forget about the money. He accused me of compromising my details, and I insisted nothing of the sort happened,” she said.

“The money was debited from my account without any alert in N50,000, N100,000, N200,000, N100,000, N100,000, N100,000, N100, N200,000 tranches.”

She stated that when she asked how the transaction was successful without an OTP, the bank manager only gave unending vague excuses and promised to escalate the issue to their headquarters after he could no longer deny that an in-house preparator was involved in the transaction.

She also added that although she suspected the cashier, the manager’s conduct was suspect, and her numerous efforts to get the bank to reverse the stolen N850,1000 had been unfruitful.

FIJ called Mr. Sylvester, the bank manager of the Sapele branch who had attended to Adebayo, but he stated that he no longer held the position.

“I am not there anymore and no longer hold the position, so I can’t help you with your inquiry,” he told FIJ.

“I also do not know anyone you can reach.”

FIJ’s numerous phone calls to First Bank were not answered. Our reporter’s email to them on Monday afternoon was also yet to be responded to at press time.

On Twitter, the bank requested Adebayo’s account details in order to investigate the issue, and stopped responding afterwards.

“Thank you for reaching out to us, and we empathise with you on the issue raised. Kindly provide account number to enable us to investigate and advise as appropriate,” the bank wrote. (Foundation for Investigative Journalism)