I have my TCS Salary account in Axis Bank, Saltlake City, BD - 20, Saltlake, Kolkata.
On the night of 6th Oct I found that my internet account (iConnect) has been hacked and two money transfers of Rs 25, 000 each have been done from my Savings account. I came to know about the fraud transaction through SMS alerts I received at around 11:30 PM 6th Oct and when I checked my online account around 11:55PM, I discovered that Rs 50, 000 had been transferred from my Axis Bank Saltlake City, Kolkata to accounts in Threeke and Phullanwala, Punjab to persons unknown to me.
I traced the beneficiary accounts from Axis Bank internet portal (iConnect), and found the following details of the fraudster's beneficiary accounts :
1.Account: 196010100071080 Branch: Phullanwala, PunjabAccount Name: ROHIT SHARMA S/O BHUPINDER LAL Account Currency: INRAccount Type: SBAAccount Category: SBEZY
2.Account: 198010100092162Branch: Threeke, PunjabAccount Name: HARJIT SINGH S/O AMARJEET SINGH Account Currency: INRAccount Type: SBAAccount Category: SBEZY
I called up the Bank's Emergency Helpine 912267987700 at 1200 midnight on 6th Oct and repeatedly requested the call center official to freeze the fraud beneficiary accounts in the Punjab, but to no avail. They asked me to wait till the morning 9am, next day, for any preventive action from the bank. On 7th Oct morning, 9 am, I called up the beneficiary branches in Punjab and came to know that the tranfered funds had already been withdrawn from both the credited accounts.
Had there been proper night support to tackle such kind of security incidents the criminals would not have got the money, as the incident was reported with in 30 mins of occurrence.
The worsening situation was that I didnot receive any prompt investigation from my home branch, Salt lake city, Kolkata, due to a week long Durga puja vacation.
The bank offers you no emergency standby support on holidays to manage crisis like this.
No FIR was lodged against the criminals by the bank until 10th Oct, since the incident occurred on 6th Oct night.
The bank only offers emergency card blocking service outside banking hours (9 am - 5pm), and no other crisis management.
Over and above my home branch manager was very unsympathetic and complacent, when she said she has done enough to take investigative measures, by lodging FIR, after four long days. I donot understand, why the BANK places such unfriendly and arrogant people to customer facing positions.
First of all they donot protect customer's interest, and secondly, they make false claims of doing enough of it.
I demand to know if the IConnect internet portal is vulnerable to hacking and security threats, why is the IConnect portal being used and hundreds of customers' money is left exposed to threats of online frauds.
Axis bank has no right to risk people's hard earned money. AXIS bank systems doesnot ensure any online security to customers, and a favourite target for fraudsters, as is proven.
I definitely suspect that there are insiders in the AXISBANK, leaking out customer's security information to criminal networks.
Yours truly
Antara Ray
0 comments