Tamil Nadu saw a 12% increase in ATM fraud cases in 2018-19, when compared to 2017-18. According to data presented in the Parliament, 147 cases were registered in 2018-19 compared to 131 cases in 2017-18. It was ₹3.63 crore in 2018-19, when compared to ₹37.55 crore in the same period last year.
Tamil Nadu stands third in the country, after Maharashtra and Delhi, according to the data sourced from RBI and presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in reply to a query.
The data includes States and Union Territories where ‘ATM/debit card’ frauds amounting over ₹1 lakh and above have been reported by scheduled commercial banks during 2017-18 and 2018-19.
In Maharashtra,s 233 cases of ATM fraud were registered in 2018-19 and the amount involved was ₹4.81 crore, when compared to 242 cases and ₹5.19 crore respectively in 2017-18.
In the national capital region, 179 cases were reported in 2018-19, when compared to 132 cases in 2017-18. The amount involved was ₹2.87 crore in 2018-19, when compared to ₹2.81 crore in 2017-18.
According to the annual report on the Banking Ombudsman Scheme from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018, released by the Reserve Bank of India, complaints relating to ATM /debit cards comprised 15.1% of total complaints, marking an increase of 50% over last year.
The Finance Minister said in her reply that RBI has issued guidelines for preventing bank frauds and suitably protecting the interest of customers.
Banks have been directed to examine fraud cases and report them to law enforcement agencies. The customers will have zero liability in case of unauthorised transactions taking place due to contributory fraud, negligence, deficiency on the part of the bank, and due to third party breach provided they notify the bank about the unauthorised transactions within three working days of receiving the communication from the bank regarding the transaction, she said.
