Tag: ATM

[Video] Soldiers, UNIBEN students clash at ATM point

Students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and soldiers, reportedly clashed at an ATM point within the school premises.

According to a yet-to-be-confirmed source, the soldiers arrived at the ATM point and tried to jump the queue to use the ATM. It is alleged that one of the soldiers had asked his female colleague to beat a female student, who they thought was filming them as they tried to intimidate the students and use the ATM without being in the queue.

The students did not take the alleged harassment lightly as they attacked the soldiers and forced them out of their school premises. Normalcy has since returned to the school premises.

Watch a video from the scene below:

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February 3, 2023
CBN Governor, Emefiele apologizes to Nigerians expecting extension of Jan 31 deadline

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has apologized to those anticipating
an extension of the January 31 deadline for the Naira redesign policy.

In his words: “I must say that unfortunately, I don’t have good news for those who feel we should shift the deadline, my apologies. The reason is that 90 days should be enough for those who have the old currency to deposit it to the banks.”

Emefiele, who spoke on other issues, made the apology on Tuesday afternoon, at the end of the first 2023 Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that there had been doubts the apex bank might be unable to meet the January 31 target.

This is more so as some Nigerians have expressed worries and disappointment over the scarcity of the new naira notes and the apex bank’s handling of the process.

Recall that the CBN announced in October last year that it planned to redesign, produce, and circulate new series of N200, N500 and N1,000 notes. The three notes represent the highest denomination of Nigeria’s eight legal tenders.

Following the launch of the new designs on November 23, 2022, by President Muhammadu Buhari, the new currency notes were circulated from December 15, 2022, with both the new and existing notes considered legal tender until January 31, 2023.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) correspondent who visited most banks in the Agbara area of Lagos State, today, observed that their ATM machines were still dispensing old notes to their customers. Also, over-the-counter customers were being given old notes.

At the UBA Bank branch in the bank road of Agbara area of Lagos, who as at 3pm stopped customers from entering the bank, our correspondent upon using the ATM observed that old notes of N500 and N1000 denominations were being dispensed to customers. The same was observed in other banks at the location.

Efforts made by our correspondent to speak with the bank’s (UBA) Branch Manager were thwarted by their security personnel, as gates were locked at 3 pm to avoid any entrance into the bank.

Also, some of the PoS operators doing business within the Agbara area of Lagos said that they did not have new notes to give to their customers, adding that in a bail of N100,000 they got from the bank, only N1,000 new notes were issued to them.

Amid the concerns about the scarcity of the new notes, CBN, today, reiterated its no turning back on January 31, 2023, deadline for old currencies to be phased out from circulation.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) gathered that the apex bank had issued a directive to the banks and ordered the implementation to begin immediately.

However, barely seven days to CBN deadlin, many banks in the rural areas of Lagos State have not complied with the directive by the apex bank as they complained of inadequate supply of the new notes, prompting them to load their ATMs with the old notes.

Although the CBN maintained that the current series of N200, N500 and N1,000 notes would remain legal tender until its January 31 deadline, it however, advised Nigerians to ensure they deposited all the old N200, N500 and N1,000 banknotes in their possession before the deadline.

January 24, 2023
Former Access Bank employees jailed for ATM card fraud

Two former employees of Access Bank Plc named Agbo John Agama and Edoh Steve have been jailed after they used a primed automated teller machine (ATM) card to withdraw N9.4 million from a customer’s account.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Agbo John Agama and Edoh Steve, both former employees of Access Bank, were convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment on Wednesday.

They were convicted and sentenced by Justice Mojisola Olajuwon of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, for conspiracy, aiding and abetting fraud to the tune of N9,400,000.

The convicts were prosecuted on one count charge by the Makurdi Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to the charge sheet, the former Access Bank employees used a primed ATM Card on an account operated by one Mejuru Chibueze Gospel with Access Bank, resulting in the loss of N9,400,000.

The charge against them reads: “That you, Agbo John Agama “M” and you Edoh Oga Steve “M” while being employees of Access Bank Plc Makurdi Branch and others now at large, on or about the 8th day of January, 2021 at Makurdi, Benue State of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, used an unauthorized access device to wit: a primed ATM Card on Account No. 30041040648 being operated by one Mejuru Chibueze Gospel with Access Bank resulting a loss of Nine Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N9,400,000) Only to him, thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 33(2)(b) of Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same section of the Act”.

The defendants pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against them. In view of their plea, prosecuting counsel, Mary Onoja asked the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Justice Olajuwon convicted and sentenced them to three year imprisonment each.

They were also ordered to pay a fine of N100,000 each to the Federal Government of Nigeria and restitute the victim in the sum of two million, one hundred thousand Naira each.

January 11, 2023
EFCC arrests man who uses 41 ATM cards, POS for chargeback

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a 27-year-old suspect who uses 41 automated teller machine (ATM) cards and a point of sale (POS) machine for chargeback.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports chargeback is a credit card charge that is disputed by a customer and is reversed.

After a chargeback the customer has paid nothing and the seller has received nothing.

Fraudsters employ it to withdraw money and afterwards call the bank to dispute the transaction and ask for a reversal, when they actually received the money.

According to the EFCC, the suspect, Nwamannah Chuks Ifeanyi, who is an indigene of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, has confessed to the crime.

He was picked up on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at the Fruits Market, Wuse Zone II, Abuja, following an intelligence report.

At the point of arrest, 41 ATM cards of different banks, bearing various names, were found in his possession.

Other items recovered from him are a Toyota Venza car with Registration Number KUJ -300 MK, one PoS Machine, two Apple Laptop computers, six iPhones, one Nokia torchlight, one Apple wrist watch and one Driver’s license.

The Benue State University graduate of Political Science and agent to a soccer betting company, claims he uses the ATM cards for Chargeback.

In a similar development, operatives of the EFCC arrested 18 suspected internet fraudsters in Abuja on July 4, 2022.

The suspects are: ThankGod Oche, Joshua Olohja, Adamu Abdulkadir, David Bruno Bidemi, Emmanuel Avoh, Micheal Oche, Francis Abbah, Kayode Itodo, Shedrack Chibuike, Okeowo Elijah.

Others are: Victor Emmanuel, Emmanuel Edache, Abah Joseph Theophilus, Sunday Agidani, Elijah Adamu, Emmanuel Ahme, Moses Agada and Adacole Michel.

They were arrested at Trademore Estate, Lugbe, Abuja, following intelligence reports received by the Commission about their alleged involvement in internet-related fraud.

Items recovered from the suspects include a Lexus car, laptop computers, and mobile phones.

July 5, 2022
How Fidelity Bank’s database was hacked with N870 million stolen in 3 days

Four staff of a commercial bank in Nigeria known as Fidelity Bank have compromised the database of the bank, stealing a total of N870 million in three (3) days.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports a witness presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) made this known in the prosecution of the four staff at the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on Wednesday.

The four staff of Fidelity Bank Nigeria being prosecuted for the alleged N874m fraud before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo are Olusegun Babasola, Abisola Ahmed, Uchechukwu Uma and Jude Aphaeus, who are the defendants in the case.

The defendants alongside one Omidiji Joseph are facing a two-count charge for their various roles in the hacking of the bank’s database and cloning of more than 22 ATM cards used to steal and divert to personal use about N874 million belonging to five corporate customers.

TNG reports the five corporate customers are American International Insurance Company Limited (AIICO); Interswitch; OVH Energy Marketing Ltd.; Fidelity Bank Sinking Fund Account and FSL Securities Ltd.

The fraud was allegedly perpetrated within three days, according to the second prosecution witness (PW2), Peter Ige, an Information System Auditor with Fidelity Bank.

However, the defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, prompting their full-blown trial.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, Ige narrated how his Department had been called upon to investigate the “massive fraud”.

Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, the witness identified the four staff of the bank in the dock and gave details of the findings of the internal investigation carried out by his team.

“On 15 July, 2019, as a System Auditor, my team was called upon to look at an instant of ATM fraud reported to the Internal Audit and to investigate same,” Ige said.

The witness further told the court that the team reviewed the systems, the affected accounts as well as those who must have carried out the activities on the accounts.

He also told the court that “We observed that the accounts were linked to a set of ATM cards, with their daily withdrawal limits increased from N150,000 to about N150million.”

He further told the court that the permitted frequency of withdrawal was also increased, adding that “This was very abnormal; and so, it aided the commission of the fraud.”

The PW2 also stated that the investigation focused on the members of staff who had authorised privilege and login details to view the accounts of customers and also increase such frequency and limits on withdrawals.

According to him, “Normally, there should be a request either from the customer or another department requesting the services.

“In this case, from our investigation conducted, there was no evidence provided by the defendants to go into these accounts.”

He told the court that after the investigation by his Department, an activity log was compiled, which formed part of the internal investigation.

TNG reports the trial of the case continues today.

March 3, 2022
Gunmen kill ATM customer in Ibadan

A yet-to-be identified man was allegedly shot dead at Water bus stop, along University of Ibadan-Ojoo Road on Monday after withdrawing some cash at the Automated Machine (ATM).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the man was shot in his private part and rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Ojoo area of Ibadan where he was confirmed dead.

An eyewitness told NAN that the man was shot dead after withdrawing a huge amount of money from a new generation bank at the University of Ibadan.

He said that his killers were suspected to have trailed him to the bus stop, where he was shot.

“I saw him when he was taken to the hospital in a Micra car. I just left school when the incident happened.

“I saw the guy and I am sure he was dead,” the witness said.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Adewale Osifeso, told NAN that he was yet to be briefed of the incident.

June 21, 2021
Police arrest suspected ATM fraudster in Enugu

The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested a suspect for allegedly engaging in an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card fraud in some banks in Enugu metropolis.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, said this in a statement on Saturday.

Ndukwe said that the command also recovered a tricycle used by the suspect and his cohorts for their operations.

He said that the feat was achieved by operatives attached to the New Haven Police Division within the metropolis on April 16 at about 9a.m.

According to him, police operatives arrested one Chukwudi Chukwu, 25, at an ATM point along Chime Avenue, Enugu.

“His arrest led to the recovery of a yellow-coloured Bajaj tricycle with registration number: ENU 677 WW, used by the suspect and his gang for operation and nine ATM cards of different banks.

“The suspect, whose arrest was due to a swift response to a distress call and his rescue from an angry mob by police operatives, is alleged to have fraudulently swapped a victim’s UBA ATM card.

“This the suspect did after offering to assist process his victim’s transaction on another bank’s ATM, with the intention of defrauding her.

“He confessed to the crime as well as being a member of the syndicate that specialised in unsuspectingly swapping ATM cards of their victims at banks’ ATMs with non-functional cards.

“This manipulative move they use to fraudulently obtain funds from their victims accounts,’’ the police spokesman said.

He said that there had been discrete investigation to arrest other members of the syndicate, including the suspect’s accomplices who escaped on the said date of the arrest.

“To this end, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Aliyu, has applauded the peace-loving residents for their assistance in the fight against criminals and their activities.

“He, however, pleads with all and sundry to quickly submit arrested criminals to the police for proper investigation and prosecution, rather than indulge in mob actions that are tantamount to jungle justice.”

April 25, 2021
#ENDSARS: Abuja ATM machines dry up as POS operators make a ‘kill’

By Emman Ovuakporie

Abuja residents in Kubwa on Saturday morning woke up to discover that all the ATM machines in commercial banks had no cash to dispense.

TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG ) reports this development as residents of the Abuja satellite town troop to Point of Sale, otherwise known as POS to cash money and had to pay a 100 percent increase on each transaction.

All the commercial banks located on Gado Nasko road in Kubwa as at 9am on Saturday had no cash to dispense to customers.

A short tour of the banks by TNG revealed that the ATM machines in Firstbank an old generation bank, Gtb, Union bank, Access bank and a host of others had no cash to dispense.

This development has led to a sharp increase in commissions charged by POS operators who increased their commissions by 100 percent.

To cash just 1000naira now in Kubwa attracts 200 naira commission and anything above 10k attracts 300 naira.

The mobile POS operators have relocated their operations to ATM centres beckoning on customers to use their services as the ATM machines no longer work.

A security guard in one of the banks who spoke under the condition of anonymity told TNG that “oga we have stopped putting money inside the machines because of ENDSARS.

“If area boys come here now wetin we fit do so we no de put money again oh go use POS sir.

October 24, 2020
Ecobank commences cardless withdrawal from ATM

Ecobank has stated that cash withdrawals can be made at all its ATMs, without a card.

The Ecobank cardless withdrawal concept, Xpress Cash, enables users to withdraw cash from ATMs using only a mobile phone, no ATM card is required.

The solution is seamless, secure and is driven by the generation of a code (e-token) by an account holder via the bank’s USSD code *326# or mobile app, Ecobank Mobile.

The e-token can be sent to customers, non-customers and even people without bank accounts for cash withdrawal at all Ecobank ATMs nationwide.

Speaking in Lagos, Head, Consumer Banking, Olukorede Demola-Adeniyi “Digital payments are fast evolving. Customers want seamless experience across channels. We are committed to providing suitable options for our customers. Forgetting your card at home should not be a showstopper when you need cash.”

She went on to explain that the concept recognises the needs of the unbanked. In her words “With Xpress Cash, our customers can send money to their loved ones who are not even banked. You can send money to your domestic servants or unbanked staff just by generating a code and sharing the code.”

“As a bank, we are not only keen to make our services accessible, but also affordable. Xpress Cash attracts only a flat charge of N50. Our USSD code, *326# offers zero session charges; and transfers of N5000 or less using our digital channels are absolutely free of charge. Also, people abroad who need to send money to their loved ones can do so without paying transfer charges using the Rapidtransfer app”, she said.

August 7, 2020
Covid-19: Panic as man collapses at ATM gallery in Asaba

Bank customers on Wednesday revived an elderly man, who collapsed while on a queue to withdraw cash at an ATM point in Asaba.

Many of the bank customers, who had initially scampered for safety due the ravaging Coronavirus pandemic, returned to assist the man and succeeded in reviving him.

The man, who declined to disclose his names, told sympathizers that he was ill and had just returned from the hospital.

“I am not feeling too well. I am coming from the hospital and decided to stop over and use the ATM machine.

“I am a diabetic patient. I live in Ibusa with my family. I came to Asaba for treatment,” he said

was learnt that the man was later assisted by some sympatizers to contact his wife on phone since he could hardly walk.

June 3, 2020