ATM fraud hits DBS again, S$23,000 stolen-Yahoo! Singapore(News)

UPDATE (11:52am, 24 Feb to include statement from DBS) DBS has been hit by another round of unauthorised ATM withdrawals with S$23,000 stolen from 17 accounts last Sunday night. All affected customers were fully compensated within 24 hours. In a statement released on Thursday, DBS said it received calls from a handful of customers who were alerted to unauthorised ATM withdrawals in Singapore after receiving real-time SMS alerts from the bank. The bank added that the incident was not a result of any new skimming activity but a residual effect of the same card skimming operation that took place at the end of last year. No other unauthorised withdrawals have been made over the past few days, DBS confirmed, before adding that it is currently working closely with the authorities on the investigation. On Monday, Yahoo! Singapore reported that several DBS customers were left shocked and stranded without cash after the bank deactivated their ATM and debit cards without prior notice. The bank's move was indeed part of its security measures in relation to the recent occurrences of unauthorised withdrawals, a DBS spokesperson said. DBS said that after identifying another group of customers who were potentially at risk, the bank deactivated their cards and took immediate steps to replace them. These customers were informed on the same day and new ATM and debit cards have since been issued to them. However, DBS declined to reveal how many customers were in the affected group. All DBS and POSB customers are encouraged to ensure that the bank has records of their current mobile phone contact details in order to facilitate the receipt of real-time SMS alerts, or other forms of customer communications. Customers can also choose to lower their daily ATM cash withdrawal limit at any branch and the bank strongly encourages its customers to refresh their PINs on a frequent basis for added protection. Related articles: DBS chief apologises for ATM fraud incident DBS moves to implement security measures Two Malaysians behind ATM fraud to plead guilty *back into the abyss of death*