By Our Reporter
Kampala: Fresh details have emerged into the recent heist at DFCU Bank in which hackers made away with $2.6 million. Days before, TheSpy Uganda reported that hackers had stolen Shs700 million customers’ deposits.
We have now further learnt that the masterminds breached some accounts in Kampala late last month and accessed the cash and too to the heels huge amounts of money valued in dollars.
DFCU top management reported the matter to Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (CIID) in Kibuli, Kampala, they have however concealed details regarding the heist where four junior staff and two outsiders who have since been arrested and are currently in police custody.
Through our investigations, we have established that DFCU Bank reported a case at CIID headquarters Kibuli with a reference number, CID HDQTRs GEF604/2019.
Sources revealed that Shs700 million was stolen through ATMs while more 8 billion was withdrawn from customers’ accounts in many branches across the city.
The hackers cracked the bank’s system and started using “old unauthorized ATM cards” allegedly belonging to a number of pseudo customers “created by these hackers.”
The heist was masterminded by insiders and outsiders who are well conversant with modern technology used by several banks in Uganda.
“Customers who were involved in the heist were asked to report to the bank that their ATM cards were stolen and therefore these cards were blacklisted by the Bank and issued new ones. But because the system had been compromised, the same ATM were used to withdraw money,” said a source.
This means that the fraud has been ongoing for a longtime in the bank, until the top management learnt of it.
Whereas, DFCU reported the matter to CIID, details have been concealed for fear of losing customers.
On Saturday, the detective handling the case declined to divulge details when contacted.
Earlier, CIID spokesperson Mathias Twine told TheSpy that no case had been reported nor suspects held over the heist.
The head of communications at DFCU Rukh-Shana Namuyimba when contacted said she wasn’t aware of any hacking.
“I am not in position to comment because I am not aware of that.”
Multiple sources at the Bank attribute the hacking to cliques that emerged since the appointment of Mathias Katamba as the Bank’s Managing Director after DFCU board temporarily named William Sekabembe as MD but was later dropped.
“We have two factions, one is loyal to Katamba and the other to Sekabembe,” said a source.
We have learnt that Sekabembe’s wing is more powerful and has since harassed those opposed to its boss.
Further, we understand that Sekabembe’s loyalist have done a lot more to undermine Katamba’s leadership and it is anticipated that they could have masterminded the heist.
