2,526 ATMs yet to have anti-skimming devices

Scheduled banks have yet to install anti-skimming devices at around 2,526 automated teller machines, flouting the Bangladesh Bank’s March 15 deadline.
The BB move came after a number of clients of four leading private banks — Eastern Bank, United Commercial Bank, Mutual Trust Bank and City Bank — had become victims of ATM scams between February 6 and February 12 this year when skimmers withdrew more than Tk 20 lakh from accounts of the banks’ clients by forging data of their (clients) debit and credit cards.
BB data shows 31 banks have so far installed anti-skimming devices at 5,794 out of their total 7,641 ATMs to check fraudulence.
Another 20 banks, which have around 679 ATM booths, have not submitted any report on the device installation status to the BB.
BB officials suspect that the banks did not submit the report as they might not have installed the devices.
The central bank on February 15 asked the banks to install the anti-skimming devices at their ATMs within next one month, but most of the banks failed to comply, said BB officials.
Fifty-one banks are now operating 8,320 ATM booths across the country.
Officials said the BB would ask the banks to install anti-skimming devices at their ATMs by October 31 this year.
The BB will also ask them to set up PIN shield within the deadline as they have so far attached the equipment with 32.59 per cent of their ATMs.
The BB will give a directive to all banks in this regard in one or two days, a BB official told New Age on Sunday.
The banks have set up PIN shield at only 2,712 of their ATMs.
On August 2, the BB arranged a meeting with the banks at the central bank headquarters in the capital and asked them to take the security measures in the shortest possible time. BB executive director Subhankar Saha presided over the meeting.
At the meeting, the BB asked the banks to provide SMS alert on mandatory basis to their clients against all settled financial transactions through ATMs.
The BB asked the banks not to impose excess SMS fee on clients as some of the clients alleged that their banks forced them to pay more fee than that of existing charge of SMS set by the mobile operators.
Subhankar told New Age on Sunday that the central bank set a comfortable deadline (October 31) for the banks to install the anti-skimming devices and PIN shield.
The banks have to purchase the devices from abroad and issue purchase orders, he said.
Subhankar said that the BB would take strict measures against the banks which would fail to comply with the October 31 deadline.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net