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Fraudsters using banks

13 June 2011 01:46 am - 15     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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By Gandhya Senanayake

The Police Fraud Investigations Bureau is to bring to notice several international and local banks operating in the country regarding certain bank practices that threaten the security of the deposits of the bank customers.

“We have received a large number of complaints regarding frauds that had taken place using bank accounts. In several instance money which had been deposited under the complaints own name had gone missing due to the negligence of the customer and bank officials,” the Fraud Investigations Bureau (FIB) head SSP Maxi Procter said 

He added that several international and local banks had acted negligently in certain instances.

“In one instance a bank in Colombo had handed over the money to an impersonator due to the negligence of the banks officials without taking proper steps to authenticate the customers’ identity,” the SSP said. 

Accordingly, new recruits and banking personnel have weekly goals setout by the banks, and in trying to reach these targets they had in some instances not adhered to the policies setout by the bank itself.                                                                                                                                                                        

More than Rs 7,000,000 have been fraudulently transferred or cashed out from the banks due to improper identification steps by fraudsters in four to five cases, that were reported to the FIB. 

In one instance more than Rs.2.5million was transferred out of a bank in Colombo after a fraudster deceitfully got the customer to sign a blank sheet of paper and presented it to the bank as a transfer order.

In another instance a bank deposit of a customer who lived abroad was kept as a security deposit for a loan by another party without the depositor’s knowledge by one of the bank employees.

“Some times simple steps as checking the National Identity Card of the bank customer is not done in the proper manner giving room for fraudsters to defraud the general public,” the SSP said. Instances such as these create many hardships for the customers, SSP Procter said.

Meanwhile the FIB advised the public to be more vigilant regarding giving out bank sensitive and personal details to strangers and added that steps taken to authenticate the identity of bank customer should be strictly adhered to by the banks. (Daily Mirror online)


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  Comments - 15

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  • christo Monday, 13 June 2011 02:04 AM

    The best part is we the victims are the ones to suffer. If the bank negligently pays out your money to someone, you are at the mercy of the bank as the bank will make thousand and one excuses and you become the suspect instead of the victim.

    tma Monday, 13 June 2011 02:38 AM

    Thank you DM for bringing this to the notice of depositers

    Honour Monday, 13 June 2011 10:58 AM

    govt should ensure that the bank take responsibility and they should give money to the customer if something happened, because they are valued customers. I understand for expansion of business activity some foreign banks give personal details of customers to another institutions without knowledge of customers including Mobile numbers., as a result those instuts insist customers to join their services, by phoning on several times

    acm Monday, 13 June 2011 10:56 AM

    Thank you DM. My family had deposited some money in a state bank in granpass in my name, when i went to the bank to collect my CD while on holiday they couldn't find the CD and they gave me the run around. It took me 4 years to get the CD after i threaten the bank with legal action.These things happen with the knowledge of the bank officials

    rajthas Monday, 13 June 2011 12:41 PM

    now no safe for depositer!

    Tera Monday, 13 June 2011 03:12 PM

    What does this mean...another financial crisis is visible...

    Konde Bendapuchhena Monday, 13 June 2011 04:28 PM

    Money laundering is not new thing to Sri Lanka

    Dadabbara Monday, 13 June 2011 05:48 PM

    First check as to how many politicians are involved and traced. The biggest culprits.

    Kalawedda Monday, 13 June 2011 07:47 PM

    However one big fraudster is now enjoying the luxuries of Welikada.

    zonner Monday, 13 June 2011 11:35 PM

    hard to identify the culprits.

    spark Tuesday, 14 June 2011 03:19 AM

    Starting with Ratwattes FD certificates...no no those will never get investigated.

    sana Tuesday, 14 June 2011 03:20 AM

    uncle ajit cabral open ur eyes. i was also a victim when there was debit to my account , and when i argued th e manager said to claose the account if i am not happy with the bank. tghe banking supervision division of th e central bank is sleeping. thnk u dm for having the guts to highlight . daily news is sleeping

    spark Tuesday, 14 June 2011 03:23 AM

    A much bigger arrogant fraudster remains our leader in luxury but slowly and surely will face justice one day for crimes against humanity.

    Roshan Tuesday, 14 June 2011 03:38 AM

    Most of the fraud is done with the help of the Bank officials. Finally it goes as negligence.

    citizen1 Tuesday, 14 June 2011 03:41 AM

    and crimes in general...including bogus connections to dutugemunu and Lord Buddha.


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