Canada Issues ATM Fraud Advice To Citizens In Nigeria

As the festive season approaches, the government of Canada has provided intelligence to its citizens in Nigeria on how not to fall victim to credit card and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) fraud.

An updated advisory published on its website warned citizens that ATM fraud “occurs” across the country, adding there is a need to be “cautious when using debit or credit cards.”

It advised citizens to pay careful attention when their cards are being handled by others during transactions.

Other advisories in the statement updated on December 8 partly reads: “Use ATMs located in well-lit public areas or inside a bank or business, avoid using card readers(Card Reader is an apparatus that reads data from a payment card) with an irregular or unusual feature, cover the keypad with one hand when entering your PIN; check for any unauthorized transactions on your account statements.”

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria has also outlined how to resolve disputes against any irregularity on customers’ ATM cards.

In its ‘Guidelines On Operations Of Electronic Payment Channels In Nigeria’, 2016, it urged victims to complain to appropriate quarters.

Section 1.6 – 1.8 of the guidelines partly reads, “In the event of irregularities in the account of an ATM customer, arising from the use of card on ATM, the following shall apply: a. All cardholders’ complaints should be treated within T + 3 from the date of receipt of the complaints; Acquirer must respond to Issuer’s request within 2 days. b. Where records are falsified by any party, appropriate sanctions shall apply.

“Penalties: Sanctions, in the form of monetary penalties / or suspension of the acquiring/processing service (s) or both, would be imposed on erring institutions for failure to comply with any of the provisions of this Guidelines, or any other relevant Guidelines, issued by the CBN from time to time.”