The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) identified 23 unauthorized money transfer service providers and warned the public and diaspora against using them. These entities were flagged for operating without the necessary NBE license, which constitutes a violation of Ethiopian law.
List of Unauthorized Providers
The following 23 entities were explicitly named as unauthorized by the NBE:
1. Adulis Money Transfer (also referred to as ADZ)
2. Amal Express
3. Bakaal Money Transfer
4. Jubba Express
5. Quick Pay
6. Redsea (USA)
7. Tasa Pay
8. Wise Trading Money Transfer
9. Amal USA
10. Avanti
11. Bananapay
12. Moneytos
13. Ramad Pay (Kaah)
14. Shgey Money Transfer
15. Tawakal Money Services
16. World Direct Link
17. Amana Express
18. Awash Direct
19. Holden Global
20. Olympic Financial Group (OFG)
21. Rasmy Pay
22. TAAJ Money Transfer
23. USWyre / Derro
Why the NBE Issued the Warning?
Legal Consequences: Providing or using unlicensed remittance services is illegal and punishable under Ethiopian law.
Risk of Loss: Funds sent through these "underground" channels are at risk of confiscation and may not reach the intended recipient.
Security Concerns: The NBE noted that some operators are suspected of breaching financial regulations related to money laundering and terrorism financing.
Crackdown Measures: The NBE is taking coordinated action against both unlicensed dealers and recipients who use these illegal channels.
How to Transfer Money Safely?
The NBE maintains a list of over 60 authorized Money Transfer Agents (such as MoneyGram, PayPal, and Western Union) on its official website (https://nbe.gov.et/mta/). Users are urged to verify any service provider's status through the National Bank of Ethiopia's list of licensed institutions before initiating a transfer.
To report suspicious activities, the public can contact the NBE via email at complaintoffice@nbe.gov.et or by calling 6230.
Would you like the full list of currently licensed agents to compare against?