Equity Bank Uganda hit by Eazzy app fraud

News reaching The Drone Media desk indicate that customers of Equity Bank Uganda have lost millions of cash to fraudsters.

According to Nakacwa Edith who holds a savings account (a/c number1044101283389) with equity bank and has been using the bank since 2019, about Ugx 21,950,000 has been fraudulently transferred.

Nakacwa says she had never had issues with the bank before;  every transaction she made she would get a message on her phone number which she used while registering, the phone number is 0703155157.

“I would make transactions above Ugx 1,000,000  over the counter and less than that I would use the ATM machine 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 was so shocked because even the previous day my account had been  credited with Ugx1.7 m .

I went to Equity Bank at Church House where I was told that I transferred Ugx9. 5m to someone called Flavia Adongo through eazzy funds transfer using the eazzy app, yet I don’t know her.  I told the manager that how can that be if I didn’t have the eazzy app and I had 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 eazzy app 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 were other transactions that had been going on with out my knowledge. I found out that the first transactions of Ugx7, 000,000 million shillings and Ugx5, 000, 000 million shillings were carried out on 14th of April and money was transferred to phone numbers .

The money stolen mounted to Ugx21, 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 would call me after the meeting. He never called back that day and on Thursday afternoon I got a message of some one trying to withdraw Ugx500, 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 rang Mr. Obua and I told him everything and he promised to call me back he never called 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 a snap 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 brought 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 because I stand no chance of winning but instead will end up loosing more money instead.

He then told me not to call him again and told me 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 weeks she didn’t pick my calls. I went back to the bank and 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 headsup 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 be looked at by the board of directors. The  week that followed 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 would summon back the following week.

Unfortunately we were put under the second lockdown and the meeting with Bank 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. I 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 ka-business had just started and now I am back to square zero.