HOW I WAS ROBBED IN LAGOS BY "ONE CHANCE

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BY Unknown Monday, March 05, 2018 0

HOW I WAS ROBBED IN LAGOS BY "ONE CHANCE

Part 3 (Conclusion)
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 I made it clear that customer's instruction superseded any other instruction or form I needed to fill.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. 

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