Mr Eric Osei-Bonsu, Managing Director of ARB Apex
Bank Limited, cautioned managers of Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) of activities of fraudsters who were duping banks nationwide.
He said the fraudsters deceptively generated credit advices and forged Apex Bank stamps and signatures of RCB officials.
Mr Osei-Bonsu said this in an address read on his behalf at the maiden Shareholders'Annual General Meeting of the Gbi Rural Bank at Hohoe.
He said that the syndicate had deployed members to RCBs to clone Apex Bank system generated advices and cheques and had duped some rural and community banks in the Northern and Central regions and it was believed that they were focusing on the Volta region.
Mr Osei-Bonsu said in connivance with some unscrupulous clearing representatives of RCBs, the accounts of some customers were credited with fictitious amounts and withdrawn.
He asked Bank Managers to be vigilant and take keen interest in the clearing machinery to
prevent fraud.
"Clearing statements, which are supplied by Apex Bank on daily basis, should be regularly and properly scrutinized", Mr Osei-Bonsu advised.
He recommended a discretionary limit of GHc 2,000 for cheques to be cleared and any amount above that limit be referred before honouring payment.
Mr Osei-Bonsu advised that any credit advice above the aforementioned figure from Apex into a client's account apart from salaries and pensions must be crossed checked with Apex Bank before payment.
He urged the managers to ensure that trusted and responsible officials were introduced to Apex as clearing representatives to minimize the incidence of fraud at RCBs.
Mr Osei-Bonsu said that security personnel were working hard to burst the syndicate and asked staff and clients of the banks to report any suspicious characters to the Police.