Sterling Bank has been caught in a nasty fake currency, precisely Euros, scandal after one of its customers accused the Bank of paying him fake five thousand Euros.
The customer, LegendaryPapi, took to his “X” (formerly Twitter) handle, @Dblinkz, to break the news on Tuesday, October 24.
According to LegendaryPapi, on January 24, 2023, he deposited the sum of 5000 euros to his domiciliary account at the Kaduna branch of Sterling Bank.
On May 30, 2023, he went to the bank’s branch he initially deposited the money and was told that they didn’t have the complete 5000.
He went to the main branch to withdraw the 5000 Euros meant to be part payment for his school fees and was paid in 500 Euros denomination.
To his chagrin, however, his friend who was going back to the United Kingdom and was to help change the Euros to Pounds could not as the money was seized after it was discovered to be counterfeit.
The highly aggrieved customer, therefore, described bankers as “armed robbers without guns working in our banking system”.
See pictures of the said Euros below:
Narrating his ordeal, LegendaryPapi wrote:
“Ooh Nigeria has happened to me. I’m writing this with so much despair.
“On the 24 January, 2023 I deposited the sum of 5,000 Euros to my domiciliary account at No. 9 Ali Alikilu Road Kaduna branch Nigeria. I went to the bank on the 30th of May, 2023, to make a withdrawal of 5,000 Euros.
“I went to the branch I initially deposited the money and they told me they didn’t have the complete 5,000; that I should collect 3,000 from them and go to their main branch to collect the rest.
“I refused because they were going to charge me separately for the different withdrawal I.E service charges. I then went to the main branch to withdraw the 5,000 Euros.
“I was given 500 Euros denomination, the purpose of withdrawing the money was to give to my friend who was going back to the United Kingdom to help me change it to pounds as I was making part payment for my school fees, only for him to go and the money was seized as it was discovered to be counterfeit.
“I have been patiently waiting for @Sterling_Bankng, @suleimana, to rectify this and return my hard-earned money but they are dragging their feet.
“POV the serial numbers had been confirmed to be same with what the bank has in their possession, @eurochangeFX has sent a confirmation letter with their letterhead to proof that the money was fake!!!”
(See the Eurochange confirmation letter below:)
LegendaryPapi continues:
“@Sterling_Bankng, @suleimana, give me my money. I don’t know why you guys are doing this to me. I have been your customer for years and this is what I get.
“@cenbank please look into this case! Here [is] a picture of the fake note @Sterling_Bankng, @suleimana gave to me which was dated as at 2002.
“Pls I need my hard earn money back if we can’t trust our banking system then we have lost it all in our country. Pls everyone who has foreign currency deposited @Sterling_Bankng No. 9 Ali Alikilu Road Kaduna branch Nigeria… go and withdraw your money because we now have armed robbers without guns working in our banking system…”
Meanwhile, the exchange rate for Naira against the Euro today, October 25, 2023, as confirmed by Bureau de Change operators in Nigeria, is ₦1,320.00 per Euro.
The Dollar traded at ₦1,310.00, while the British Pounds goes for ₦1525.00