Posted by By Ayodele Aminu on
A Lagos business man - Mr. Moshood Audu has petitioned the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Panti and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the theft of $3,600 belonging to him through the Western Union Money Transfer (WUMT) scheme of First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
A Lagos business man - Mr. Moshood Audu has petitioned the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Panti and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the theft of $3,600 belonging to him through the Western Union Money Transfer (WUMT) scheme of First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
In the petition dated July 16th 2005 and July 25th 2005, addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, and EFCC respectively, Audu claimed that he received a call on July 4th, 2005 from Mr. Ronald Reis who works with the Nigerian Embassy in Hong Kong, telling him to go to Western Union Money Transfer agent in Nigeria to collect $3,600.
Audu, according to the petition immediately proceeded to First Bank Customs Street Lagos, where he was told after officials of the bank had gone through their systems, that no money was sent in his name. Consequently, he was advised to check the Marina Branch of First Bank.
On getting to the Marina branch that same day (July 4th, 2005), Audu said he was told to get in touch with the sender to get more details of the transactions.
'I got in touch with him that same day and he complained to his bank over there. It was then that he was told that the money has been paid out from First Bank Marina Branch," Audu stated in the petition.
Given this scenario, Audu said he went back to the Marina Branch of First Bank on July 12th, 2005 to see one Mr. Joseph Ojo who told him to come back the next day, promising that the bank would have by then concluded its 'internal findings."
The following day when he got to First Bank, he said 'I was turned back by the Administrative Secretary who said I can't see Mr. Joseph Ojo because he is preparing for a meeting. He advised me to call him on 2640500, 22669681.
'I went there the following day (July 15, 2005). It was then that Mr. Joseph Ojo gave me photo copies of the payment voucher used in paying out the money and he briefly showed me a photocopy of one international passport used in withdrawing the money but he did not give me the photocopy of the passport."
Audu is therefore asking both the Deputy Commissioner of Police and the EFCC to use their 'good offices to bring these fraudsters to book."
When THISDAY contacted First Bank, its Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Jide Ogundele confirmed that the $3,600 sent to Mr. Moshood Audu had been paid out by the bank to the specified beneficiary by the sender.
When THISDAY examined the photocopy of the international passport presented to First Bank by the purported beneficiary, it was discovered that the name on the passport was the same with that of the original beneficiary.
This means that the fraudster, acting on the information, went to the passport office to obtain a new passport with the name of the original beneficiary, which he then used to claim the dollars.
Ogundele maintained that First Bank is not liable for the missing funds because it has lived up to its expectation by paying the beneficiary stipulated by the sender.
Asked why First Bank did not subject the purported beneficiary to a test question before the funds were released, he said senders of money through the WUMT had an option of including a test question in addition to the name of the beneficiary as a means of identification.
But with respect to this particular transaction, Ogundele said the authorised identification by the sender was the name of the beneficiary, which the bank has complied with.