Connect with us

News and Report

Unethical Banking Practice: Wema Bank Swims In Customer Data Abuse Scandal With “ALAT By Wema”

Published

on

Some customers of Wema Bank Plc (ALAT By Wema) have accused the deposit money bank of abuse of customers’ data and unethical banking practices in the country by using their data to open illegal ALAT by Wema accounts without their authorization or permission. We understands that Wema bank has been opening multiple accounts for some Nigerians on its much-hyped digital banking platform, ALAT by Wema, without their knowledge or permission in a bid to celebrate the platform’s 5th anniversary.

Wema Bank Reportedly Aiming ‘A Million Account In One Day’ – Thereby Using Customers’ Data To Illegally Populate ALAT By Wema Digital Platform

According to information reaching Society Reporters, while the actual number of such unauthorized bank accounts opened on behalf of unsuspecting or undiscerning Nigerians are unknown, Wema Bank was alleged to be aiming to achieve “a million accounts in one day”, thereby using Nigerian customers’ data to populate the digital platform.

They said they discovered that the bank and its agents had allegedly been opening unauthorized accounts for customers with information or data in the bank’s possession.
The financial institution, led by Ademola Adebise, is accused of allegedly opening accounts for some Nigerians on its digital banking platform, ALAT, without their knowledge or consent in a bid to celebrate its 5th anniversary.

Customers Accuse Wema Bank Of Illegally Using Their Data To Open ALAT By Wema Accounts

Adebayo Tayo, a mental health advocate, took to his Twitter account to publicly accuse Wema Bank of opening an account in his name without authorization from him.

Tayo lamented that he never knew he had a new Wema Bank account until his mother contacted him, because she received an alert that was intended for him – shocking, how come he owns an account he’s unaware of, and his mom receives the alert.

“I am concerned about how my info has been used by Wema Bank and I need detailed explanations about the account including every transaction it has performed before someone uses my details for an account to launder money or collect ransome, ” he stated.

Wema Bank, in response to the report, claimed the unauthorised accounts were opened for certain persons “to celebrate with us” despite not informing them ahead or receiving approval to create the accounts.

Wema Bank Illegal Banking Practice Similar To Wells Fargo Accused Of Opening 1.5m Accounts Ilegally

This illegal banking practice is similar to that of Wells Fargo, a United State bank, which was accused of opening 1.5 million accounts without authorisation, with over 565,000 credit cards applied for, allegedly without customers consent.

About 5,300 employees at Wells Fargo were sacked for opening the illegal accounts, and the company was fined $185 million by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the United States.

The unauthorised Wells Fargo accounts were only uncovered by the affected persons when the accounts started accumulating debt from bank charges on the unsuspecting individuals.

Just as the sacked Wells Fargo employees were said to have indulged in fraudulently opening sham accounts to beat target, Wema Bank vendors and marketers may have used the same strategy to achieve the lender’s anniversary target.

That of Wema Bank is expected to also place a financial burden on the unsuspecting persons through account maintenance cost, from which the lender generated about N2.10 million last year, surpassing N1.24 million of 2020.

Affected Nigerians smell insider abuse

Recently, Mental Health Advocate, Adebayo Tayo, took to his Twitter account to publicly accuse Wema Bank of opening an account in his name without authorisation from him.

Tayo lamented that he never knew he had a new Wema Bank account until his mother contacted him, because she received an alert that was intended for him – shocking, how come he owns an account he’s unaware of, and his mom receives the alert.

“I am concerned about how my info had been used by Wema Bank and I need detailed explanations about the account including every transactions it has performed before someone uses my details for an account to launder money or collect ransome, he stated.

Following a probe into Tayo’s claim, an online publication, Ripples Nigeria discovered he was not the only one whose identity was used by the financial institution, to open accounts on its digital banking platform, ALAT by Wema, without the knowledge or consent of the individuals.

Another affected Nigerian is Oyenike Ojo, whose name was used to open an ALAT by Wema account. However, when money was sent to the account, the alert details showed another name, Oluseyi Bamgboyi as account owner – which means two different names seem to have been used to open one account.

Ojo’s husband was quoted as saying that something was shady about the account, “What I said is, the current name on the account number in my screenshots is not my wife’s name. If you look at that screenshot, the account was opened with my wife’s name and a new account number.

“She also got a credit alert notification via sms with the new account number. This shows that her details were used to open that account. However I tried to do a transfer to that account this morning when I read the news only to see that the account name is Oluseyi Bamgboye and not Oyenike Ojo (which is my wife’s name). Something is definitely fishy”, he explained to Ripples Nigeria.

Ojo said his wife has an account with Wema Bank which she hasn’t used for about seven years, and the new account created in her name doesn’t seem to carry the same number with her old account.

He stressed that the unauthorised accounts opened is “definitely an inside job.”, stating , “Customer’s details are compromised and they are being used to open new accounts. Whether by marketers so as to meet targets of number of accounts opened, or for money laundering, I can’t tell.”

Ojo asked for an investigation into the illegal accounts opened by Wema Bank, saying the situation is questionable, “How Oyenike Ojo’s savings account opened without her permission has now become Oluseyi Bamgboye’s account is definitely questionable.” Ojo said, expressing his worry.

Another name used to open unauthorised account, Abimbola Fakoyejo, disclosed that he was still wondering about his unused account on ALAT by Wema, when he saw a message notifying him that an account has been opened in his name.

News and Report

Appeal Court Reinstates Adeleke As Winner Of Osun Governorship Poll

Published

on

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ruled that Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the winner of the Osun state governorship election.

At its sitting on Thursday, the appellate court nullified the judgement of the election tribunal declaring Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the election.

Oyetola was declared the winner by the election tribunal after he went to court to challenge the victory of Adeleke, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Delivering judgment on January 27, two out of the three-member panel held that the former governor was able to prove that there was over-voting in some of the polling units.

Adeleke had rejected the judgment, describing it as “a miscarriage of justice” and “an unfair interpretation against the will of majority of voters”.

In the 31 grounds of appeal, Adeleke begged the court for “an order setting aside the whole decision of the tribunal”.

He also sought “an order striking out the petition for want of competence and jurisdiction or in the alternative, an order dismissing the petition on the merit”.

Adeleke submitted that the tribunal exhibited bias when it said: “The second respondent cannot ‘go lo lo lo lo’ and ‘buga won’ as the duly elected governor of Osun state.”

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices on Friday, held that the appeal the governor lodged to challenge his sacking by the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, was meritorious.

Aside from setting aside the judgement of the tribunal, the court, in its lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Mohammed Lawal, awarded N500,000 cost against APC and its candidate, Oyetola.

 

Continue Reading

News and Report

Travel Agent, Abioye Abolaji arraigned for visa fraud linked to 77 applicants

Published

on

The Police Special Fraud Unit in Lagos State has arraigned a travel agent, Abioye Abolaji, for alleged visa racketeering, including the forging of the United Nations invitation letters for no fewer than 77 visa applicants in the state.

The spokesperson for the PSFU, SP Eyitayo Johnson, in a statement on Thursday, said Abolaji was arraigned on 11 counts bordering on alleged forgery, obtaining money by false pretence, false representation and stealing.

He said, “The arrest of the suspect was in furtherance to a petition from the Diplomatic Security Services Regional Security office at the United States Consulate General, Lagos, which requested a discrete investigation into forged documents submitted by certain C-2 visa applicants to the Non-Immigrant Visa Unit of the USCG. The C-2 visa is an NIV category reserved for participants at United Nations conferences/events.

“An investigation by the USCG and the PSFU into 77 C-2 applications from 24 organisations in Nigeria to attend two separate conferences, including the 67th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and the UN 2023 Water Conference scheduled to take place in New York between March 22 and 24, 2023, revealed that most of the applicants are not qualified for the visa classification they applied for because the applicants provided forged UN invitation letters.

“The applicants, who claimed to be employees of Osun and Sons Agricultural Venture, Ray D. Exclusive Electrical Contractor, or ACE Technoresources Integrated Services, planned to attend the UN Water Conference as representatives or nominees of these organisations but investigation revealed that none of the organisations is in consultative status with the UN and that the employment of most of the applicants had no bearing to either of the referenced UN conferences.”

Johnson said further information elicited during police interviews of the visa applicants led to the arrest of Abolaji, who was described as the arrowhead of a notorious syndicate that specialised in visa fraud.

“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, PSFU, Adepoju Ilori, advised prospective visa applicants to desist from patronising document vendors/visa racketeers for the processing of category B-1 and B-2 visas or any other travel documents.

The CP further encouraged applicants to research the procedure/requirements of visa for their intended country of destination or to approach the diplomatic section of the PSFU for guidance in order not to fall victim to visa racketeers. The unit is currently on the trail of other members of the syndicate,” the statement said.

Continue Reading

News and Report

I Never Told Anyone That I Will Die Soon – Odumeje

Published

on

Controversial Anambra-based fiery pastor, Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere, popularly known as Odumeje has dismissed the rumour saying that he declared he would die soon.

Report had emerged that Odumeje, during Sunday service at Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry, Onitsha, said he had completed his assignments on earth and was time to go.

The reports also alleged that the death announcement might not be unconnected with the demolition of part of his church recently by the State Government.

According to the reports, while the news came to some members of the congregation as surprise, others wept, saying they don’t want him to leave them soon.

But speaking on phone, Okoye described such news as untrue, saying the prophet never instructed his son, David to take care of his house after his death.

She said, is not true (that prophet Odumeje said during Church service last Sunday that he will die soon).

You know that some people when they want to destroy someone’s image, they will write something with your name and put it in a YouTube and say that you said it.

The prophet never instructed his son, David to take care of his house and that he will die soon.

Continue Reading

Trending