Stand Out

NEW ATM SCAM. PLEASE READ. IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN TO YOU!

Naomi’s story
Naomi works in the head office of a bank in Lagos. On Saturday 10th January, while at home, Naomi found herself in desperate need of money to fuel the generator and sent her brother-in-law to the ATM to withdraw money using her ATM card. The brother-in-law, an undergraduate, had done this for her in the past.

He returned with the money and ATM card and she put both in her wallet in her bag. She returned to work on Monday and got a call from one of the bank branches asking her if she had misplaced her ATM card. She responded that she had her ATM card in her bag, but was told to look at the ATM card. She discovered that she did have an ATM card, but it bore another person’s name. She promptly checked her account and found that it had been cleaned out.

Her brother-in-law’s story
He got to the ATM and met a “distressed” lady who claimed that she didn’t know how to use the ATM. She asked him to show her and he gullibly agreed using Naomi’s card to demonstrate the use of ATM card. He thought nothing of it and in fact must have felt gallant and important! He came back home with ATM card and money.

The Scam
After the demonstration and while the ATM card was ejecting from the machine, “Lady-in-distress” (LID for short) swapped Naomi’s card with the card she was holding. LID then proceeded to other ATMs and withdrew N250,000 from Naomi’s account that Saturday. On Sunday, she logged on to the internet and bought laptops, airtime e.tc. LID relieved Naomi of her entire Housing allowance and December salary.

How the story came to Naomi’s attention
Mr. Kofoworola stopped at the ATM on Monday 12th January  to withdraw N5,000 to fuel his car on his way to work in the morning. When he got to the machine, he inserted his card and typed his PIN. INVALID PIN! After three attempts, the ATM machine siezed the card. Mr. Kofoworola marched into the bank and read the Manager the riot act. The bank officials retrieved the card and checked the system to ensure the right card was being returned to the customer as the card was not personalised. It was discovered that card was issued to a lady, Naomi! The bank staff making the confirmation informed Mr. Kofoworola and then notified Naomi (who is a staff of the same bank).

Mr. Kofoworola’s story
On Sunday 11th January, he met a “distressed” lady at the ATM. She claimed that her transaction wasn’t going through and the message was INSTITUTION NOT AVAILABLE. She asked for Mr. Kofoworola’s help and he gallantly stepped up to the plate! He left the ATM non the wiser that his card had been switched. LID cleaned Mr. Kofoworola’s account and generously left him with N600.

The card Naomi got after the switch belonged to a lady, Iquo Mami. Iquo was invited by the bank and questioned. She claimed she mispaced her card, and notified the bank’s card helpline. The bank checked the CCTV footage (yes, some banks in Nigeria put CCTV cameras on the ATMs!) on the ATMs from which withdrawals were made. It wasn’t Iquo who made the withdrawals. She still remains a suspect as the bank is going through their records for her notification of card loss (yes, telephone conversations are recorded for playback!). Naomi’s brother-in-law identified LID from ATM pictures as the lady he assisted. Mr. Kofoworola also identified LID. This fraud is still being investigated. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE.

Learning points
- Do not entrust your ATM card or PIN to anyone. They may be trustworthy but may not be as careful as you would be. Naomi entrusted her ATM card and PIN number to another person.
- At the ATM,
* Look over the ATM to ensure there is no suspect attachment that can steal you ID/Card.
* Shield the number pad so no one hanging around can see your PIN.
* Ignore and treat everyone you meet as a suspect. You are not a teacher. All those who lack knowledge should notify their bank.
* Ensure you remove your receipt and that the card that you take away from the machine is yours
* Request to print balance before a transaction and balance after. As a rule, avoid ATMs that say “Printer Error”

“You cannot foresee the results of even the most trivial act.”

I was reading my Bible today when suddenly I realized that what I’m reading is in a way applicable to this our country (Nigeria) and a lot of other countries too.

Check this out. The Psalmist talking about God is saying

Psa 10:16  The LORD is king forever and ever. The nations have vanished from his land.
Psa 10:17  You have heard the desire of oppressed people, O LORD. You encourage them. You pay close attention to them
Psa 10:18  in order to provide justice for orphans and oppressed people so that no mere mortal will terrify them again.

Today some collegues went out and on thier way back they boarded a bus and in the bus a lady who was supposed to pay N20 as her fare ignorantly paid N30 upon realizing this mistake demanded for N10 which she rightfully deserved and was denied by the fare collector (conductor). All effort by other passengers to persuade this conductor proved abortive, He called the lady all sorts of names and eventually pushed her out of the bus. As the journey continued the following calamities befell him.

1. He ran out of fuel and had to jog a long distance with a keg to get a little to get him moving again. He was delayed for about 20 – 30mins.

2. His door fell and his windshield broke

3. He was involved in a motor accident that left his car badly damaged

I don’t know who that lady was but that was simply outstanding.

No mere mortal can terrify some of us anymore, we have become sui generis i.e. we are in a class of our own. Unique, different, we stand out.

When God Fights for us unbelievers will experience what they will love to call NEMESIS

Late last year I attended a convention where I was particularly fascinated by a particular preacher who had is own unique style. He was introduced and all seem to know him as the man of God who quoted from the Bible and the “book of elders”. When he stepped up to deliver his message I understood what was meant immediately. This man of God was using deep yoruba (One of the major tribes in Nigeria) proverbs as support for better understanding and to add a little humour to it he used the proverbs like quotes from the “book of elders” stating chapters and verses that he made up. When we meet with the elders of our land, it seems they can hardly ever speak without adding one or two proverbs Read more…

I was going through a stuff I came across and decided to remix for myself some days ago. I am talking about a small write up tagged “Today I will”. Something that was supposed to be my general todo list for a day. The basis for everything that I will do day in, day out. Here it is: Read more…

It’s a few days into 2009 and in this few days I have been opportuned to hear a lot of people say what the year is most likely going to be for them. Most declaring according what their pastors declared and prophesied. For example: 2009 my year of exploits, of unimaginable success, of rewards, of signs and wonders, of joy etc. I quite agree that this year will be a remarkable year. As a matter of fact 2009 for me, it is my year of all those good things that have been said. However, just as it was written of Jesus that he came for the rise of some and the fall of others. This year will only be good for some, helping some to rise and in this same year many will fall and suffer. Listen to me as I tell you what Read more…

Aliens

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