Student allegedly withdraws GH¢24,849 from GCB Bank ATMs using stolen cards

A student, Regan Kwesi Egbe Addo, also known as Morgan Addo, has been arraigned before the Dansoman Circuit Court for allegedly utilizing a GCB Bank automated teller machine (ATM) card to fraudulently withdraw a total of GH¢24,849 from the accounts of two customers.

The accused has been charged with two counts of stealing in two separate cases and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to the prosecution, the first incident occurred on September 17, 2025, when Addo allegedly impersonated a GCB Bank staff member at the Ministries ATM in Accra.

Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder, who led the prosecution, informed the court that the accused approached a customer and deceived him into following him to the Société Générale Ghana Bank Premier Towers branch under the pretext of offering assistance.

The court heard that Addo stood behind the complainant while he entered his personal identification number (PIN) at the ATM. He later requested to “clean” the chip on the ATM card, during which he allegedly swapped the card without the customer’s knowledge.

Using the stolen card, Addo allegedly withdrew GH¢14,949 from the complainant’s account at various locations in Accra, including ATMs at the Kempinski Hotel and the Airport City Shell Fuel Station.

Investigators from the Ministries Police Station retrieved closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from GCB Bank, which helped to track the movements of both the complainant and the accused.

In a second case, Addo is alleged to have used a similar method on December 23, 2025, to steal GH¢9,900 from the account of a female customer of GCB Bank, who is also a staff member of the Ministry of Fisheries. The prosecution said the incident occurred at about 4:40 p.m. on that day.

The victim later reported the matter to the police after learning that the accused had been arrested and placed on a wanted list for alleged ATM card thefts within the Accra Central Division.

Following his arraignment, the court admitted Addo to bail and directed him to appear for a case management conference on March 11, 2026. The court further ordered the prosecution to file its witness statements and other necessary disclosures ahead of the next hearing.

The case has drawn attention to the growing trend of ATM-related fraud in Accra, with police urging the public to be cautious and avoid accepting unsolicited assistance at cash machines.