APA-Accra (Ghana) – This attempted scam comes after the CBE reported a technical problem in March that led to fraudulent withdrawals of several million dollars by several thousand customers.
On Tuesday 30 April, the African Union reported that an attempt to pilfer more than six million dollars from accounts held at Ethiopia’s main bank had been thwarted.
According to the AU, an individual from outside its organisation had attempted to withdraw funds from its accounts at the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) using false payment orders for construction and
water drilling projects.
In a statement, the AU expressed its gratitude for the vigilance and responsiveness of CBE staff and its own finance department, which succeeded in preventing this fraudulent attempt. This intervention
prevented the outflow of funds, averted a potential loss and maintained the integrity of financial and management controls.
The incident took place on 15 April at a CBE branch located at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
The Ethiopian security authorities were alerted and immediate steps were taken to identify and apprehend the individuals involved in accordance with existing investigation procedures.
The AU described the attempted fraud as “disconcerting,” but stressed that it had revealed potential vulnerabilities, prompting a review of existing security measures.
In collaboration with the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, the AU said it was actively working to strengthen safeguards and implement improved protocols to prevent any further fraud attempts to compromise its
finances.
The attempted scam comes after the CBE reported a technical problem in March that led to fraudulent withdrawals of several million dollars by several thousand customers.
The bank reported a theft of around $19.5 million, while some media estimate the losses at up to $100 million.
AC/fss/APA/AFP