DESPITE of the additional security features which were recently placed to guard the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) owned by several banks in the country, customers still complain of the loss of their money believed to have been withdrawn from their bank account without their consent. The features earlier introduced by the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) is to provide more security measures that would help protect bank customers from having their money stolen through ATM machines. These includes a shield that protects the keypad on the ATM as they are designed to help conceal the user’s hand from the angle of the camera positioned in ATM cubicles and from other customers. Bankers believe that during pin entry which is a secret code is inserted at the time the customer wants to draw money it is important to shield the keypad of the ATM as a security measure. ATM is a computerized device that enables clients to make transactions without the need for a bank teller. Despite of the presence of these features, Hafidh Yahya Ally (26) a bank customer in one of the foreign banks operating in the country (name withheld) is lamenting after having found his money has been stolen from his bank account one week ago. He said in an exclusive interview recently that, he had his money withdrawn by unknown person, the sum of over Sh. 1 million from his account when he went to the bank for withdrawing. Speaking in a telephone interview he noted that, on the very fateful day, he traveled all the way from Dodoma where he is currently residing to Dar es Salaam city where the bank is located, and on his arrival only to find out from the service counter of the bank that, his money had been withdrawn a week ago. On realizing this, distraught young Hafidh notified the bank to enquire for the clarification and when the bank printed a financial statement that showed a transaction, it was discovered that, his money had been traced through ATM machine by unknown person from the Republic of Bulgaria a country located in Eastern Europe. However, as a result of this, Hafidh has been told by the bank officials to wait within 45 days as the bank is doing investigations in collaboration with ATM electronic machine experts and once this is over would be informed of what shall transpire later on. Sources from the bank who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the incident in a telephone interview and noted that, were working on the issue and added that, there are about 73 related cases which the bank is currently investigating to establish the whereabouts of the stolen money from their respective customers’ accounts.
A typical Automated Tellere Machine used by banks.
Investigations carried out by this paper reveals that, despite the presence of the security measures in most operating ATM machines which the banks proved to be effective enough to disclose ATM thieves, bank customers continue loosing their money in a mysterious circumstances a situation which has created suspicion among customers over few untrustworthy bank staff that might be colluding with people from outside. ATM theft commonly known as card skimming is a critical problem facing a number of banks in the country especially in Dar es Salaam and it was creating a burden for the banks since they were forced to refund customers the stolen money. Unconfirmed reports from financial experts indicate that the banks have lost about Sh. 800 million in compensation to affected customers. Following the increased rate at which theft is growing there was a need to conduct thorough research to establish techniques used to steal money from the ATMs and what should be done to address the problem says a cabinet minister. Suggesting ways to ensure customers’ safety, the Finance Minister Dr. William Ngimwa said in a telephone interview on Wednesday this week that, as the magnitude of the problem is growing rampantly, banks must establish strong mechanism to beef up internal security as there might be untrustworthy workers who keeps on tracing confidential reports of their customers from within and disclose them. Dr. Ngimwa was contacted for comments over the matter so as to see what the government is doing to help cease ATM theft from escalating, and in his reply he noted that, the banks are entirely responsible with the matter and that he was not ready to comment any more what had transpired. He also noted that, on the part of bank customers they should not whatsoever disclose their secret pin codes to their relatives as people are not trusted. He said and added that, his ministry cannot intervene with bank operations unless he receives orders from the main financial regulator in the country, the BOT on what to do with the matter.
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