₦airaland Forum

sirgalahad26:
asswear! tension wont let u use it,what is the essence when ur bag is snatched unexpectedly?!

Pepper spray would not be in bag, put a body pouch.....

If they don't have a weapon, then must chop spray o...

geekybabe:
Amicable09, sorry about the ish.
I had a similar experience 2 weeks back. My phones and laptop was taken from me. Same scenario. Boarded a bus around past 6am. They were calling obalende/cms. They picked me by gbagada. Me and 2 other ladies. Took our atm cards and evry cash we had. Took phones jewelry and slapped us left right. They dropped us off at Berger axis.

Thank God it wasn't more than that. A couple of pple I know shared similar stories on Facebook,

If you are in Lagos be vigilant.
These is really rampant this days.

Oh no! So sorry to hear. They hide under the dark to carry out their evil deed. It's unfortunate.

Did they withdraw from your account?
I was surprised two of my colleagues just kept finishing my sentences and adding to the things I missed by interrogations because same thing happened to them from Surulere this January.

I don't leave home until it's bright enough now. Better to be late than go through such tragic experience and still get to work late. My face burned all through that day.

Nothing Broken ! No missing ! No stolen.Mantle of rest Mantle of define escape .God is indeed a faithful God. It is so sad that we Nigerians go through this trauma with lots of fear on a daily basis to make ends meet.

Sorry about your loss poster. It can be very traumatizing.


Living in Lagos can be hell. Aside the traffic you have to face daily.You have to be calculative not to get robbed in traffic if you are driving or fall for one chance robbers.

But there are simple tips to note please to at least avoid such.

1. Never ever enter a bus that's not at a designated bus stop. Most people are robbed because they stay on the road and don't want to pay the extra N50 fare at the car park. Rare for a bus from a park to be a one chance bus because they would be identified.

2. If you don't have a car. It is better to resume work late than to get robbed. nothing wrong leaving home by past 6am when everywhere is brighter.

3. Enter buses that have inner lights only in addition to the first. At least most of these aren't one chances

4. Do not follow the advice of other commuters or strangers urging you to enter a bus. They are all mostly in collusion.

5. if you drive. Learn new roads and use Google maps traffic to spot areas with slow downs and totally avoid them. Areas like stadium under bridge, apongbon, Eko bridge are areas i avoid like a plagued once i see there's traffic. Better to get home late that get a smashed window.

6. No need to be in a rush. Your life is more precious than any silly deadline set at work
Surulere and Yaba are very notorious with such early morning crimes.

amicable09:
Thanks dear. You're so right. These robbers are really heartless to say the least. The worst part is the use of danfo buses really. You won't even suspect a thing.

Like you said, moving about with debit cards is a big risk. If you must, let it be just one, having a balance you can easily forego. With technology getting better and better each day, one can make cardless withdrawals too. I know better now myself. I don't pray to fall into their hands again.

sorry for your experience...how can one make cashless withdrawal?

amicable09:
Ended with me alive!

I couldn't wish for any better ending than this.

Thank God you are alive sis. I learnt a huge lesson from your experience. I have heard of stuffs like this before but I didn't take it serious. I need to get a new account asap.

amicable09:
Oh no! So sorry to hear. They hide under the dark to carry out their evil dead. It's unfortunate.

Did they withdraw from your account?
I was surprised two of my colleagues just kept finishing my sentences and adding to the things I missed by interrogations because same thing happened to them from Surulere this January.

I don't leave home until it's bright enough now. Better to be late than go through such tragic experience and still get to work late. My face burned all through that day.

I can't believe this happened to you. But I'm grateful that His mercies speaks for us. Sometimes I really don't blame those who carry out jungle justice on these criminals... I love the way you write and your vast knowledge in banking ethics...

davide470:
So sorry Amicable09. The other lady was my colleague, because the same thing happend to her on Monday at Surulere. She called the office immediately after the ordeal and someone was sent to pick her up.

By now, you should be back to Zanga. Trust your uncle. Lol.

Sorry once again and please be careful.

Oh really!?
I remember I heard her say she wanted to call her office before she taken to a church.

It's well.
Hope she's well?

Thanks jare. Lol @ my uncle
You know the man na... Lol

amicable09:
Not knowing where we were or where we were driving to, we had driven for close to one hour cos when they threw out the mama from the bus after seeing that she didn't have money neither did she have a debit card, they instructed her not to shout when they drop her off. They showed her their gun and as expected, she complied.

When the door opened, I wished for an escape myself, I was far inside on the floor in between the legs of a man holding a knife, they told us (the lady behind and I) to be quiet. We made no sound. The drop off was very quick too and the bus zoomed off. I think I saw the woman raise her hands to the sky and thanked her 'God'. Our God must be on their way, I remained hopeful.

Still driving, a call came in. It was from the gang member who was with our cards. Six cards in total. I had four while the lady behind had two. The caller confirmed that all my pins were correct but that the lady behind gave them the wrong pins. I think at that point she got stabbed. There was frustration by the reaction of everyone in the bus, including me. Just gives them the correct pin so we can be free please. What is money compared to life?
Because the longer we stayed with the




m, the more ideas of evil they may have.

From slaps from left and right, she gave the right pin. They called back the guy at the ATM stand and he confirmed it. But there was yet another bad news for them...

The ATM wasn't dispensing cash!

When I heard it, I knew my own God had arrived. But bad news for me, one of the guys suggested he tried another machine in a different bank so off he continued while we drove. Some guy advised that it was already very bright and since the cards were in their position they should look for a lonely path to throw us out. The rest of them concurred. The search for a lonely place at past 7 was not easy to find. After another long drive in curses and threats, we were given the ground rules.

'Now you guys will go down, but first, we go apply aboniki balm for your eyes... Don't worry, we go lead you down, don't shout. When you get down, no shout! If you shout, we will shoot!'

"I no go shout!" I nodded "but I beg, no rub me robb for eyes, I get eye problem"

'E be like say this girl no serious o! We go give her HIV o!'

"I no go shout, just drop me"
The lady behind, wailing and pleading promised not to shout too. They took out generous amount of aboniki balm and applied into our eyes that was when we both began to cry like babies

The bus halted. We were led down and the engine started. But guess what!
In our semi blind state, that lady began to shout, "thief! Thief! Thief! Somebody help me! I've been robbed! Catch them for me!"

Ah! Please I need to see. Where am I? I continued crying.

Just then, some good Samaritans appeared and began asking questions. Someone gave me handkerchief, I tried and tried to clean off the balm but it kept hurting. I begged for a phone and called a family member. The tears after a while washed away the balm and its effects, then my eyes became clear. Where I saw myself was at ketu. I said a quick prayer. Turned to look at my fellow victim but she was nowhere to be found. My head was pounding, without cash or phone, I asked for water from the crowd that looked at me with pity. One man said everyday, they drop off victims along that road. Another asked if I was touched, I said I was beaten. He sympathized with me. Then I remembered my debit cards...

WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU'VE BEEN ROBBED...
1. I'll advice, just the same way you memorize numbers of close friends and family members, memorize your bank's contact center number. I guess no one may have told you this before but hear it today. Call Contact Center! If you can't call, send an email. That number is as important as your account officer's number. Make sure you put a call through.
2. If for any reason you're unable to reach your banks via telephone, visit the nearest branch. Get your card hotlisted! Block your card! Don't waste time before doing this. You may ask, why block a card after I've been robbed and money withdrawn from my account? I'll respond by saying, you never know who will pay in money in another two to three hours time. With that card active with them, you're perpetually doomed. Get the card blocked! And do so immediately.
3. Immediately you walk into a banking hall, get a customer service agent place a lien on your account. There's a limit to how much can be withdrawn daily. In case they have reached that limit, make sure you place hold on the balance in your account.
4. Desist from saving bank SMS alerts on your phone when you have an attractive closing balance. You can always request for statement of account or email alerts instead.
5. If transfer was done through POS, keep calm. Your funds can be traced. There is a money trail and you 'can' get your money back and even get the criminals arrested....

More to come

.

amicable09:
Having debit cards is not bad, but carrying debit cards around is dangerous. It's in fact, a crime to carry many cards with zero balance around. At this point I think I should say this, when it comes to saving money in your bank account, it's better you have a designated account and subscribe to almost nothing. Not Mobile App. Not internet banking. Not USSD. Not even a cheque book. Just nothing.

Immediately after I contacted my family members, a bike rider who took the other lady to the nearest police station came to take me there as well. I politely asked that I be taken to the closest branch of my bank where my salary account is domiciled. The bike rider without hesitating obliged my request. I quickly explained my plight to the security and demanded to meet with a staff. One of them rushed to the branch manager who dialed contact center. After the call, using her phone she sent a mail with all my details. Then we rushed in, she signed in and placed a lien on the funds in my account. Not a kobo had left. I was grateful.

My other bank was a trekkable distance away, I trekked there. Explained to the security guard manning the entrance door, it was still past 7 and he explained that the banking hall wasn't open. I told him I needed my card blocked, he pointed me to the ATM. 'Mr.! Stop acting like a princupality! I know about self service and that I can hotlist my card through an ATM but I can't remember my card details.' Just then, a staff of the bank came in and asked what the issue was, I went straight to the point and made my simple request, he showed me the ATM, I told him I couldn't remember those details especially the last 4 digits of my card. Then he said l'll need to fill a form. At the sound of a form, I took offense. Is the Nigerian bank now like our Federal hospitals and Health centers where they watch a dying patient give up the ghost in the corridor because they need to 'fill form and pay some ridiculous amount' before treatment will commence. I made it clear that if withdrawals are done on my account from the time I got to the branch and my account gets cleared, they'll pay down to the last kobo. I made it clear that customer's instruction superseded any other instruction or form I needed to fill. Everything can be regularised later. First things first.

When the staff saw my understanding of banking, he asked for my account name, I provided that. He asked for the name of the branch where the account was opened, I provided that. Then he asked for my mobile number tied to the account. I did. All these answers were to help him get my account number from the system cos I couldn't correctly remember my account number and I wasn't ready to gamble with it. He went in with that information and came out shortly smiling. Your card has been blocked and the last transaction on your account was an inflow from Chinasa on the 3rd of February. 'Thanks', I said smiling back.

I called a relation working in a bank next through the help of a family member who had come to my rescue and was now driving me around. I got my card blocked as well. From there I went to my last bank that was actively for savings. There I met no resistance. The customer service agent cooperated well and after asking all security questions made sure to block the card. She wrote down my balance in the account and put the paper in my hand. 'Sorry', she said.
"Thank you", I responded.

Next was to block my SIM card. That was equally successful. I did that over the phone. By the time I was done, I couldn't believe it. That I was alive and well. No tooth lost. I could still see. I wasn't bleeding. I had all my monies intact. I was not in shambles so to say.

By the time I got to the office that day, as I recounted my ordeal, it dawned on me that this pattern has been going on for a while. These guys are on the roads of Lagos unleashing havoc and making the city unsafe. It is to this end I've decided to share my experience and hope someone learns from this. We cannot be too careful but as much as we can, ensure you take adequate measures to protect yourself.

Eko o ni baje oooooo

EKO ti baaje ti pe mehn!!! sorry about the ordeal,thank God for life

amicable09:
Oh no! So sorry to hear. They hide under the dark to carry out their evil dead. It's unfortunate.

Did they withdraw from your account?
I was surprised two of my colleagues just kept finishing my sentences and adding to the things I missed by interrogations because same thing happened to them from Surulere this January.

I don't leave home until it's bright enough now. Better to be late than go through such tragic experience and still get to work late. My face burned all through that day.

They took 2 cards . My acces card but it was just 300 naira in it. D other was foreign card. Can't dispense in Nigeria. So it was useless to them. Once we were dropped off I called d banks and blocked both cards. They were not able to withdraw.

gabbasin:
I suggest that every commercial buses especially the danfos in Lagos should each have a distinct number boldly written at the front, back and the 2 sides of the bus, and it should be reflective in the dark so that before or on boardering any bus a passenger can actually have d number in his/her head

A very good idea. The Lagos State police and the Lagos State Government should please take note and implement ASAP!

amicable09:
Thanks dear. You're so right. These robbers are really heartless to say the least. The worst part is the use of danfo buses really. You won't even suspect a thing.

Like you said, moving about with debit cards is a big risk. If you must, let it be just one, having a balance you can easily forego. With technology getting better and better each day, one can make cardless withdrawals too. I know better now myself. I don't pray to fall into their hands again.

babe u are rich o, buy car o, well even with car people still get robbed

One chance

Hmm... I'll recount my experience on of these days.

Btw, I learnt that typing your pin in reverse will trigger a security alert unknown to the user.

That's cool.

Don't know if it'll release one or two notes after a few tries until in blocks, to avoid suspicion.

temiprinciple:
sorry for your experience...how can one make cashless withdrawal?

Thanks. Cardless withdrawal can be done either using your bank's USSD code, that is short code e.g *932# or your Mobile App depending on your bank. Once you enter the code, follow the prompts but to do this, you need to have your phone with you.

It's quite easy.

BAN DANFOS

Ogaonos:
dt y i dnt fancy dt lagos dt afonja hype always u rarely get such in abuja.even police go follow u smile but abj pple dnt brag about abj online

True say, Abuja is undeniably one of the coolest place to live in Nigeria less hassle n not close to cool stories....u damn right, I'm proud of that zone. Lagos is too lousy,ratty, grubby and bunch of tiring city filled with more bad news than the good ones. Stuffs like this happen awhole lot in Lagos even stuffs social media don't get to hear of. Imagine they didn't get out alive people on seeing them would probably tag them oloshos. Op I thank God with you,,,u are sure serving a living God ur grace bank is still green.

amicable09:
Having debit cards is not bad, but carrying debit cards around is dangerous. It's in fact, a crime to carry many cards with zero balance around. At this point I think I should say this, when it comes to saving money in your bank account, it's better you have a designated account and subscribe to almost nothing. Not Mobile App. Not internet banking. Not USSD. Not even a cheque book. Just nothing.

Immediately after I contacted my family members, a bike rider who took the other lady to the nearest police station came to take me there as well. I politely asked that I be taken to the closest branch of my bank where my salary account is domiciled. The bike rider without hesitating obliged my request. I quickly explained my plight to the security and demanded to meet with a staff. One of them rushed to the branch manager who dialed contact center. After the call, using her phone she sent a mail with all my details. Then we rushed in, she signed in and placed a lien on the funds in my account. Not a kobo had left. I was grateful.

My other bank was a trekkable distance away, I trekked there. Explained to the security guard manning the entrance door, it was still past 7 and he explained that the banking hall wasn't open. I told him I needed my card blocked, he pointed me to the ATM. 'Mr.! Stop acting like a princupality! I know about self service and that I can hotlist my card through an ATM but I can't remember my card details.' Just then, a staff of the bank came in and asked what the issue was, I went straight to the point and made my simple request, he showed me the ATM, I told him I couldn't remember those details especially the last 4 digits of my card. Then he said l'll need to fill a form. At the sound of a form, I took offense. Is the Nigerian bank now like our Federal hospitals and Health centers where they watch a dying patient give up the ghost in the corridor because they need to 'fill form and pay some ridiculous amount' before treatment will commence. I made it clear that if withdrawals are done on my account from the time I got to the branch and my account gets cleared, they'll pay down to the last kobo. I made it clear that customer's instruction superseded any other instruction or form I needed to fill. Everything can be regularised later. First things first.

When the staff saw my understanding of banking, he asked for my account name, I provided that. He asked for the name of the branch where the account was opened, I provided that. Then he asked for my mobile number tied to the account. I did. All these answers were to help him get my account number from the system cos I couldn't correctly remember my account number and I wasn't ready to gamble with it. He went in with that information and came out shortly smiling. Your card has been blocked and the last transaction on your account was an inflow from Chinasa on the 3rd of February. 'Thanks', I said smiling back.

I called a relation working in a bank next through the help of a family member who had come to my rescue and was now driving me around. I got my card blocked as well. From there I went to my last bank that was actively for savings. There I met no resistance. The customer service agent cooperated well and after asking all security questions made sure to block the card. She wrote down my balance in the account and put the paper in my hand. 'Sorry', she said.
"Thank you", I responded.

Next was to block my SIM card. That was equally successful. I did that over the phone. By the time I was done, I couldn't believe it. That I was alive and well. No tooth lost. I could still see. I wasn't bleeding. I had all my monies intact. I was not in shambles so to say.

By the time I got to the office that day, as I recounted my ordeal, it dawned on me that this pattern has been going on for a while. These guys are on the roads of Lagos unleashing havoc and making the city unsafe. It is to this end I've decided to share my experience and hope someone learns from this. We cannot be too careful but as much as we can, ensure you take adequate measures to protect yourself.

Eko o ni baje oooooo

Thank God for your life and property.
Some fowls after reading this will still say there's no God.

amicable09:
Having debit cards is not bad, but carrying debit cards around is dangerous. It's in fact, a crime to carry many cards with zero balance around. At this point I think I should say this, when it comes to saving money in your bank account, it's better you have a designated account and subscribe to almost nothing. Not Mobile App. Not internet banking. Not USSD. Not even a cheque book. Just nothing.

Immediately after I contacted my family members, a bike rider who took the other lady to the nearest police station came to take me there as well. I politely asked that I be taken to the closest branch of my bank where my salary account is domiciled. The bike rider without hesitating obliged my request. I quickly explained my plight to the security and demanded to meet with a staff. One of them rushed to the branch manager who dialed contact center. After the call, using her phone she sent a mail with all my details. Then we rushed in, she signed in and placed a lien on the funds in my account. Not a kobo had left. I was grateful.

My other bank was a trekkable distance away, I trekked there. Explained to the security guard manning the entrance door, it was still past 7 and he explained that the banking hall wasn't open. I told him I needed my card blocked, he pointed me to the ATM. 'Mr.! Stop acting like a princupality! I know about self service and that I can hotlist my card through an ATM but I can't remember my card details.' Just then, a staff of the bank came in and asked what the issue was, I went straight to the point and made my simple request, he showed me the ATM, I told him I couldn't remember those details especially the last 4 digits of my card. Then he said l'll need to fill a form. At the sound of a form, I took offense. Is the Nigerian bank now like our Federal hospitals and Health centers where they watch a dying patient give up the ghost in the corridor because they need to 'fill form and pay some ridiculous amount' before treatment will commence. I made it clear that if withdrawals are done on my account from the time I got to the branch and my account gets cleared, they'll pay down to the last kobo. I made it clear that customer's instruction superseded any other instruction or form I needed to fill. Everything can be regularised later. First things first.

When the staff saw my understanding of banking, he asked for my account name, I provided that. He asked for the name of the branch where the account was opened, I provided that. Then he asked for my mobile number tied to the account. I did. All these answers were to help him get my account number from the system cos I couldn't correctly remember my account number and I wasn't ready to gamble with it. He went in with that information and came out shortly smiling. Your card has been blocked and the last transaction on your account was an inflow from Chinasa on the 3rd of February. 'Thanks', I said smiling back.

I called a relation working in a bank next through the help of a family member who had come to my rescue and was now driving me around. I got my card blocked as well. From there I went to my last bank that was actively for savings. There I met no resistance. The customer service agent cooperated well and after asking all security questions made sure to block the card. She wrote down my balance in the account and put the paper in my hand. 'Sorry', she said.
"Thank you", I responded.

Next was to block my SIM card. That was equally successful. I did that over the phone. By the time I was done, I couldn't believe it. That I was alive and well. No tooth lost. I could still see. I wasn't bleeding. I had all my monies intact. I was not in shambles so to say.

By the time I got to the office that day, as I recounted my ordeal, it dawned on me that this pattern has been going on for a while. These guys are on the roads of Lagos unleashing havoc and making the city unsafe. It is to this end I've decided to share my experience and hope someone learns from this. We cannot be too careful but as much as we can, ensure you take adequate measures to protect yourself.

Eko o ni baje oooooo

Well. Let me praise the first good thing I see. I admire your superb command of written English.

Well back to the main points. In reply to the bolded, it is better to subscribe to USSD than not. If you don't want to use it, then you use a random pin you can forget by tomorrow.

Because the robbers when they get hold of your phone, can subscribe to a USSD service to your account in a matter of minutes.

What's more, not subscribing to a USSD service can actually leave you open to fraud. As someone "borrowing" your phone can as well subscribe with it and siphon your funds.

geekybabe:
They took 2 cards . My acces card but it was just 300 naira in it. D other was foreign card. Can't dispense in Nigeria. So it was useless to them. Once we were dropped off I called d banks and blocked both cards. They were not able to withdraw.

Great! I'm glad you are fine. Our security game in this Lagos needs to improve though. This one chance robbery is as old as Lagos itself. I want to believe measures will be taken to curb the menace soon enough.

amicable09:
Not knowing where we were or where we were driving to, we had driven for close to one hour cos when they threw out the mama from the bus after seeing that she didn't have money neither did she have a debit card, they instructed her not to shout when they drop her off. They showed her their gun and as expected, she complied.

When the door opened, I wished for an escape myself, I was far inside on the floor in between the legs of a man holding a knife, they told us (the lady behind and I) to be quiet. We made no sound. The drop off was very quick too and the bus zoomed off. I think I saw the woman raise her hands to the sky and thanked her 'God'. Our God must be on their way, I remained hopeful.

Still driving, a call came in. It was from the gang member who was with our cards. Six cards in total. I had four while the lady behind had two. The caller confirmed that all my pins were correct but that the lady behind gave them the wrong pins. I think at that point she got stabbed. There was frustration by the reaction of everyone in the bus, including me. Just gives them the correct pin so we can be free please. What is money compared to life?
Because the longer we stayed with them, the more ideas of evil they may have.

From slaps from left and right, she gave the right pin. They called back the guy at the ATM stand and he confirmed it. But there was yet another bad news for them...

The ATM wasn't dispensing cash!

When I heard it, I knew my own God had arrived. But bad news for me, one of the guys suggested he tried another machine in a different bank so off he continued while we drove. Some guy advised that it was already very bright and since the cards were in their position they should look for a lonely path to throw us out. The rest of them concurred. The search for a lonely place at past 7 was not easy to find. After another long drive in curses and threats, we were given the ground rules.

'Now you guys will go down, but first, we go apply aboniki balm for your eyes... Don't worry, we go lead you down, don't shout. When you get down, no shout! If you shout, we will shoot!'

"I no go shout!" I nodded "but I beg, no rub me robb for eyes, I get eye problem"

'E be like say this girl no serious o! We go give her HIV o!'

"I no go shout, just drop me"
The lady behind, wailing and pleading promised not to shout too. They took out generous amount of aboniki balm and applied into our eyes that was when we both began to cry like babies

The bus halted. We were led down and the engine started. But guess what!
In our semi blind state, that lady began to shout, "thief! Thief! Thief! Somebody help me! I've been robbed! Catch them for me!"

Ah! Please I need to see. Where am I? I continued crying.

Just then, some good Samaritans appeared and began asking questions. Someone gave me handkerchief, I tried and tried to clean off the balm but it kept hurting. I begged for a phone and called a family member. The tears after a while washed away the balm and its effects, then my eyes became clear. Where I saw myself was at ketu. I said a quick prayer. Turned to look at my fellow victim but she was nowhere to be found. My head was pounding, without cash or phone, I asked for water from the crowd that looked at me with pity. One man said everyday, they drop off victims along that road. Another asked if I was touched, I said I was beaten. He sympathized with me. Then I remembered my debit cards...

WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU'VE BEEN ROBBED...
1. I'll advice, just the same way you memorize numbers of close friends and family members, memorize your bank's contact center number. I guess no one may have told you this before but hear it today. Call Contact Center! If you can't call, send an email. That number is as important as your account officer's number. Make sure you put a call through.
2. If for any reason you're unable to reach your banks via telephone, visit the nearest branch. Get your card hotlisted! Block your card! Don't waste time before doing this. You may ask, why block a card after I've been robbed and money withdrawn from my account? I'll respond by saying, you never know who will pay in money in another two to three hours time. With that card active with them, you're perpetually doomed. Get the card blocked! And do so immediately.
3. Immediately you walk into a banking hall, get a customer service agent place a lien on your account. There's a limit to how much can be withdrawn daily. In case they have reached that limit, make sure you place hold on the balance in your account.
4. Desist from saving bank SMS alerts on your phone when you have an attractive closing balance. You can always request for statement of account or email alerts instead.
5. If transfer was done through POS, keep calm. Your funds can be traced. There is a money trail and you 'can' get your money back and even get the criminals arrested....

More to come

Oh my goodness! I'm sorry you went through this...but I think I must have seen you at the bustop you were dropped. ..was it at Ketu Toll gate bustop?

AgricSalt:
Well. Let me praise the first good thing I see. I admire your superb command of written English.

Well back to the main points. In reply to the bolded, it is better to subscribe to USSD than not. If you don't want to use it, then you use a random pin you can forget by tomorrow.

Because the robbers when they get hold of your phone, can subscribe to a USSD service to your account in a matter of minutes.

What's more, not subscribing to a USSD service can actually leave you open to fraud. As someone "borrowing" your phone can as well subscribe with it and siphon your funds.

Thanks. I agree to an extent but this will only be possible if they have certain information. In one of my banks, to subscribe to using USSD service, you need to sign up using the number that is linked to your BVN which must be the same with the mobile number tied to your account. And of course, the last three digits of your BVN is required to complete the sign up.

A total stranger can't do that.

A roll of weed and a brown rizla was what saved a friend sometimes ago. They simply let him go when they found the content. Since then I've been moving around with a pack of rizla

Even police will respect you.

amicable09:
Thanks. I agree to an extent but this will only be possible if they have certain information. In one of my banks to subscribe to using USSD service, you need to sign up using the number that is linked to your BVN which must be the same with the mobile number tied to your account. And of course, the last three digits of your BVN is required to complete the sign up.

A total stranger can't do that.

That bank should teach other banks the way to go.

I bank with 3 major banks. All of them only asks for the last four digits of ATM card. And of course it must be your bank registered number (_{but, don't we usually move about with our bvn registered number, which is usually most exclusively our 'main line'?})

amicable09:
Oh no! So sorry to hear. They hide under the dark to carry out their evil dead. It's unfortunate.

Did they withdraw from your account?
I was surprised two of my colleagues just kept finishing my sentences and adding to the things I missed by interrogations because same thing happened to them from Surulere this January.

I don't leave home until it's bright enough now. Better to be late than go through such tragic experience and still get to work late. My face burned all through that day.

Exactly, alot of crimes are done under the cover of the dark. Then police is almost ineffective, they are either closing work or going to work then.

And as a first timer in Lagos I was careless moving with cash from airport rd to mile two. Only once did one stupid man try to pick pocket my phone, but God helped me I was alert and stopped him. Though it was around 9 O'clock in the morning.

amicable09:
Having debit cards is not bad, but carrying debit cards around is dangerous. It's in fact, a crime to carry many cards with zero balance around. At this point I think I should say this, when it comes to saving money in your bank account, it's better you have a designated account and subscribe to almost nothing. Not Mobile App. Not internet banking. Not USSD. Not even a cheque book. Just nothing.

Immediately after I contacted my family members, a bike rider who took the other lady to the nearest police station came to take me there as well. I politely asked that I be taken to the closest branch of my bank where my salary account is domiciled. The bike rider without hesitating obliged my request. I quickly explained my plight to the security and demanded to meet with a staff. One of them rushed to the branch manager who dialed contact center. After the call, using her phone she sent a mail with all my details. Then we rushed in, she signed in and placed a lien on the funds in my account. Not a kobo had left. I was grateful.

My other bank was a trekkable distance away, I trekked there. Explained to the security guard manning the entrance door, it was still past 7 and he explained that the banking hall wasn't open. I told him I needed my card blocked, he pointed me to the ATM. 'Mr.! Stop acting like a princupality! I know about self service and that I can hotlist my card through an ATM but I can't remember my card details.' Just then, a staff of the bank came in and asked what the issue was, I went straight to the point and made my simple request, he showed me the ATM, I told him I couldn't remember those details especially the last 4 digits of my card. Then he said l'll need to fill a form. At the sound of a form, I took offense. Is the Nigerian bank now like our Federal hospitals and Health centers where they watch a dying patient give up the ghost in the corridor because they need to 'fill form and pay some ridiculous amount' before treatment will commence. I made it clear that if withdrawals are done on my account from the time I got to the branch and my account gets cleared, they'll pay down to the last kobo. I made it clear that customer's instruction superseded any other instruction or form I needed to fill. Everything can be regularised later. First things first.

When the staff saw my understanding of banking, he asked for my account name, I provided that. He asked for the name of the branch where the account was opened, I provided that. Then he asked for my mobile number tied to the account. I did. All these answers were to help him get my account number from the system cos I couldn't correctly remember my account number and I wasn't ready to gamble with it. He went in with that information and came out shortly smiling. Your card has been blocked and the last transaction on your account was an inflow from Chinasa on the 3rd of February. 'Thanks', I said smiling back.

I called a relation working in a bank next through the help of a family member who had come to my rescue and was now driving me around. I got my card blocked as well. From there I went to my last bank that was actively for savings. There I met no resistance. The customer service agent cooperated well and after asking all security questions made sure to block the card. She wrote down my balance in the account and put the paper in my hand. 'Sorry', she said.
"Thank you", I responded.

Next was to block my SIM card. That was equally successful. I did that over the phone. By the time I was done, I couldn't believe it. That I was alive and well. No tooth lost. I could still see. I wasn't bleeding. I had all my monies intact. I was not in shambles so to say.

By the time I got to the office that day, as I recounted my ordeal, it dawned on me that this pattern has been going on for a while. These guys are on the roads of Lagos unleashing havoc and making the city unsafe. It is to this end I've decided to share my experience and hope someone learns from this. We cannot be too careful but as much as we can, ensure you take adequate measures to protect yourself.

Eko o ni baje oooooo

Your story is very educative but for the sake that NO DINE WAS REMOVED FROM YOUR ACCOUNT makes me think it's a cooked up story. Thanks for sharing. I have learnt a lot

I really enjoyed the whole narrative.

My dear OP when are you writing your next blog post?

'Cause I'm already in love with your writing.

First bank has made it possible for customers to block their cards through their mobile app..


Click my link below to see how its done.



Sorry op.

Thank God for you o that nothing bad happened to you. It's a terrible experience, all these people are making Nigeria totally inhabitable for we Nigerians