My card was taken by an ATM near my hotel in Niger. Has this happened to anyone else? Solution?
If this happens in Niger, only Niamey branches give you a realistic chance of recovery. Ecobank is your best bet. Elsewhere, assume the card is gone. Carry CFA francs and USD, since you can exchange USD easily at hotels. Niger isn’t card-friendly, so travel with at least two cards and withdraw during weekday banking hours only.
My Revolut card was taken by a Banque Atlantique ATM in Agadez. By the time I found a branch the next day, the staff said the card had already been destroyed. Niger is extremely cash-based outside Niamey, so losing it was stressful. I had to use CFA francs I carried and exchange USD at my guesthouse. Definitely don’t rely on just one debit card here.
I was in Niamey near the Grand Hotel and had my Wise Visa taken by an Ecobank ATM. Went to the branch the next morning and staff returned it after verifying my ID. They were actually very professional and used to dealing with travellers. Another friend at the hostel in Yantala got their Monzo card back from Bank of Africa, so recovery in Niamey is possible if you act quickly.
In Niger, the main banks with ATMs are Ecobank, Banque Atlantique, and Bank of Africa. If your card is swallowed, your best option is to go into the branch with your passport. Ecobank in Niamey sometimes returns foreign cards, but others usually destroy them for security. Call the hotline number on the ATM if it shows one, and block your card until you know if you’ll get it back.