Edith Nakacwa a Customer for Equity Bank Uganda has Dragged the Bank to Court for Allegedly defrauding her to a tune of Ugx. 21,950,000
The general public therefore demands Equity Uganda’s explanation on how a customer’s deposits were withdrawn from her account through e-banking (eazzy funds transfer) without her knowledge as narrated bellow:
Edith narrates “I hold a savings account (A/C number1044101283389) with equity bank and i have been using the bank since 2019. Since that period have never had issues with the bank. Every transaction i made i would get a message on my phone number which i used while registering. 0703155157. I would make transactions above 1,000,000 shillings over the counter and less than that i would use the Atm of any nearest bank or an agent.
On the 23rd of April 2021 i went to withdraw money from an agent on Kampala road who told me that i had no money on my account. I so shocked because even the previous day my account was credited with 1.7 M. I went to equity bank at church house where i was told that I transferred 9. 5m to someone called Flavia Adongo whom I don’t know through eazzy funds transfer using the eazzy app. I told the manager that how can that be if I didn’t have the app and had I never used it all my life. I also told them that my account had much more money than the said amount. The lady then referred me to the head of security. While in his office Mr. Obua Denis confirmed that it was eazyy fraud and i also found 5 similar reports from different people who had approached him that day.
He brought me my bank statement where i found out that there other transactions that had been going on without my knowledge. I found out that the first transactions of 7,000,000 million shillings and 5000000 million shillings were carried out on 14th of where April and money was transferred to phone numbers. The money stolen mounted to 21,950,000 million shillings exclusive of charges. He also confirmed that the bank is responsible for the loss and that the matter would be resolved soon. He told me to go back on Wednesday. When i went there on Wednesday he told me he had not yet presented the case to the board and that he was to present it later that day and that he will call me after the meeting. He never called back that day and on Thursday afternoon i got a message of someone trying to withdraw 500,000 shillings from my account. But of the previous transactions when my money was taken i got no single message. On getting the message I immediately got called Mr. Obua and i told him everything and he promised to call me back he never back. I decided to keep waiting for his call but he didn’t call so I decided to tweet about it on Saturday and tagged the bank @ugequitybank.
When i went back on Monday i was scolded for tweeting and that what do i think i will gain from it. Mr. Obua made it clear to me that Equity bank is a very big institution and that my money was so little and that it can be paid in asnap of a figure. He told me never to contact him again and that I should go to Twitter and get my feedback and perhaps get my money from there. I told him I have all rights to use whichever means I thought would help to get my money. I also bought him to his notice that i was going to sue the bank. He made it clear that I should not think of doing such a thing coz i stand no chance of winning but instead will end up losing more money instead. He then told not to call him again and told to call one Mrs. Doreen also a worker in the marketing department who would then report to him.
The lady picked my calls for one week and the following she didn’t pick my calls. I went back to the bank i no one told me a thing. I was so furious and I went to Twitter again and immediately the bank called me and told me that they are aware of my query and that they are working on it. What followed were excuses each time i called. They told me to call once a week and they would give me heads-up on what was happening. They told me that my case was forwarded to Kenya for payment approval. The following week i was told my case has to looked at by the board of directors. The next week i was told that the MD had the final say. After those excuses i got nothing else. So I decided to get a lawyer who wrote to bank of Uganda and equity bank.
Bank of Uganda replied us in a week and told us it will sermon back of Uganda the following week. Unfortunately, we were put under the second lockdown and the meeting with back of Uganda was forwarded. After that lockdown my lawyer wrote to bank of Uganda reminding it of our cause and they promised to contact us soon. But what you should know my savings were my capital for i used to invest and re save but now my everything is shut down.
I can’t pay rent at my work place nor where I stay. I am surviving on the mercy of my friends and a few family members. Am stuck and I don’t know what to do. It’s coming to four months and the bank has never done a thing. My business had just started and now am back to square zero.”
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