A 60-year-old Oshakati West woman has lost N$100 000 after a suspect fraudulently withdrew money from her account. 

According to inspector Thomas Aiyambo, the pensioner went to withdraw money inside Bank Windhoek’s Ondangwa branch, around 10h30 on Monday.

“About 10 minutes later, she was called by a private number and was informed that she won a voucher at MTC. She was requested to give her banking details, which she did and give her personal information, apparently for the voucher to be paid into her bank account,” he said.

At 13h00, she decided to go back to Bank Windhoek to lock her account. When she arrived at the bank, she was informed that an amount of N$100 000 was withdrawn from her account. Nothing has been recovered so far.

The suspect is not known and no arrest has been made although the pensioner suspects that someone inside the bank helped the fraudster. 

Bank Windhoek’s executive officer of retail banking services and specialist finance, James Chapman said, “the matter is currently under investigation with the assistance of the Namibian Police. We can, therefore, not disclose any further information at this stage.  The bank remains committed to assisting the client with the recovery of stolen funds.”

Both the police and banks have urged the public not to provide their personal and banking information to unknown people who call them on their private mobile phones.