ATM card fraud
Banks partly responsible: BB
Foreigners under watch
for possible link
STAFF REPORTER
The Central Bank yesterday held the commercial banks partly responsible for the recent incidents of ATM card forgery.
Bangladesh Bank (BB) officials said such incidents may have been prevented if banks had been checking CCTV footage regularly. The BB officials yesterday sat with the Heads of Card Divisions and Alternative Channels of the commercial banks to discuss the issues related with the recent ATM card forgery.
Sources present at the meeting told The Independent that the BB officials present at the meeting held the officials of the banks responsible for the incidents of forgery. Some officials of the commercial banks, however, said that regular checking of CCTV footages from all ATM booths is not possible.
One official from a bank pointed out that none of the BB circulars mentioned anything about regular checking of footages. In fact, the BB circular about ATM booth security, which was issued in September 5, 2013, didnt mention anything about checking CCTV footage, he said. Even the recent directive issued on Tuesday asked the banks to do the checks on a random basis, not on a regular basis.
The official also said that banks will require huge manpower to enable regular checks for all ATM booths, which will significantly increase the overheads. Another official from a different bank pointed out some problems with the BB directive of not allowing a large bag or person with hat/cap or mask inside the booth. The official said the problem will arise in case of females entering wearing a Burka or Nikab.
He cited an incident in Feni recently, where a woman clad in Nikab got into a feud with the security at an ATM booth, on the issue. The BB officials, after discussions, decided that if a female wearing Niqab wants to draw money from the ATM booth, she has to keep the door open and let the guard observe her activities.
Some officials raised the proposal of re-setting the ATM machine in open places, like many developed countries, without the provision of a closed door, but a majority of the officials including BB, said that would be too risky in Bangladeshs context.
Some officials also opposed the BB directive of installing anti-skimming devices in all the ATM machines in one month. Officials from one particular bank, with over 3,500 booths across the country, said it would take at least six months to complete the task.
Ijaz Ul Haque, Secretary General of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) forum, a platform of the CTOs of bank and different companies, who was also present at the meeting, told The Independent that the meeting with the BB was fruitful.
Around Tk 20.60 lakh from nearly 36,000 account have been stolen with fake cards. It could have happened on a larger scale. Its good that we have sat together to take proper measures at an early stage, he said.
Haque said the banks will try to implement the directives made by the BB as soon as possible. Talking with The Independent, Shubhankar Saha, Executive Director of the BB, who moderated the meeting said the bank officials pledged full co-operation with the Central Bank in preventing the forgery in ATM banks. We also direct the Eastern Bank Limited (EBL) to fully compensate its clients who became victims of the recent ATM cards forgery, said Saha.
The affected depositors would be given cheques at a programme to be held at the BBs conference room at 10.30am, with BB Deputy Governor Naznin Sultana, EBL Executive Director and other high officials of the bank attending it.
UNB adds: A citizen of East Europe is suspected to be involved in recent ATM card forgery incidents as detectives have already identified 4-5 foreigners through scrutinising video footages.
We have already identified 4-5 foreigners, hailed from East European countries, by scrutinising video footages. Of them, one might have involvement in the recent ATM cards forgery, said DMPs Additional Commissioner Monirul Islam yesterday.
Talking to reporters at DMP Media centre, Monirul however said the detectives have not arrested the suspect as they need to be completely sure as the man is a foreign national. But they (4-5 foreign nationals) are now under surveillance of the detectives, he added.
The official said a case was filed with Banani Police Station in connection with ATM cards forgery. The case has already been transferred to the Detective Branch of Police.
The Additional Commissioner said the detectives have also been investigating if local people, including bank employees and officials, are involved in the forgery.
On February 12 this month, authority of the United Commercial Bank (UCB) has filed the case with Banani Police station as at least Tk 1.26 lakh was misappropriated through several ATM cards forgery recently.
The Bangladesh Bank on Saturday asked several banks to block around 200 ATM cards as those are believed to have been read by skimming devices during February 7-9.
Meanwhile, the central bank will hand over money among the ATM card holders of EBL, who were financially affected. The money will be given with the assistance of EBL.
Related story on Business page
