[Resolved]  HDFC Bank Bank, Daman. — Complaint against HDFC Bank regarding a fraud incident happened through Net Banking

Address:

Valsad, Gujarat

Dear All,
At the outset I apologize for delay in writing caused by me.
I would like to draw your kind attention to the fact that I have a savings account bearing no.[protected] in HDFC Bank, Daman Branch and I often make transaction through Net Banking. But, surprisingly it was found on 09.12.10 that an amount of Rs. 32000/- has been debited from my account noted above through Third Party Transfer of Net Banking erroneously by the bank authority for which I have not given any authorization to the said branch. The matter was taken up with the Delhi Commissioner of Police (Mr. B.K.Gupta,E-Mail ID: bk.[protected]@nic.in),Branch Manager, HDFC Bank Daman(Mr.Aadarsh Surmawala,Cell No. [protected],E-Mail ID: aadarsh.[protected]@hdfcbank.com),Cluster Head, Western Region(Mr.Rajendrakumar Taliwal,Cell No. [protected],E-Mail ID: rajendrakumar.taliwal @hdfcbank.com), Customer Service Manager,Chairman & MD Cell(Mr.Tejali M. ([protected]) & Elizabeth J.E-Mail ID: [protected]@hdfcbank.com) and finally M.D. of HDFC Bank, Mr. Aditya Puri(aditya.[protected]@hdfcbank.com) with the request to credit the said amount to my account immediately. But, after the incident held on 09th December, 2010, no action has yet been taken to the effect from him.
The bank, vide their letter dated February 01, 2011 has stated
” For a successful Net Banking transaction to be carried out a valid Customer ID and a Net Banking Password (IPIN) need to be entered. As this transaction was done using the correct customer ID and IPIN, the Bank validated the same. If it is claimed that you have not done the transactions then the account sensitive details have been compromised by you. The Bank had sent the alerts to your registered mobile number with the Bank ([protected]) and also to your registered email id ([protected]@rediffmail.com) informing you about addition of beneficiary on 8th December 2010. The Bank had also sent the transaction alerts on same mobile number and the email id on 9th December 2010. We also understand that you have confirmed that you may have received the alert of beneficiary addition but had ignored the same. Had the Bank received intimation that you have not added the beneficiary, corrective steps could have been taken to stop the funds from being moved out of your account as every new beneficiary added is activated only after a 24 hour cooling period. On receipt of your complaint regarding unauthorized debits on 10th December 2010, the Bank immediately disabled your Net Banking rights. We have tried to contact the beneficiary on his mobile phone ([protected]) but is not traceable on his mobile number or communication address. The Bank has informed you about the complete situation on phone. The beneficiary is non traceable as on today and the Bank has debit freezed his account. The funds are not recovered and we would request you to file an FIR against the beneficiary”.
In view of above I sent a mail to Bank on 13.03.11
“which was enclosed by an attachment came from HDFC Bank only. After clicking the attachment, website of HDFC Bank was opened and asked for my account sensitive details. After visualizing this, I can remember that the same type of e-mail (only difference is that the earlier e-mail was not asking me the Debit and Credit card sensitive details) came from HDFC bank only which I received during the period from 3rd December, 2010 to 09th December, 2010 into my Rediff Mail ID and I am very much sure that by responding this e-mail I lost Rs. 32000/-dated 09.12.2010. You can also crosscheck the phenomenon by contacting ‘Rediff.com’ at Mumbai. The two same types of e-mails clearly indicate that the same gang is operational and they are openly hacking the different customer’s account like me and still Corporate Bank like HDFC is not capable to stop the cyber crime. I am highlighting you at an early stage to take immediate action in coordination with your Security and IT Department and credit my full recovery amount immediately. If HDFC Bank strategically and immediately acts on this matter, I am confident that HDFC Bank must be able to recover my full amount. In fact, I contacted Daman Police Branch to do the FIR but Mr. Sibestian Debasia, ([protected]) Sub Inspector of Daman Police Branch is not taking up this matter. So, please coordinate with him and support me to lodge FIR immediately”.
From the two e-mails mentioned above I am drawing clarification to your attention;
1. I opened my salary account (Account bearing no.[protected]and activated Net Banking facility by HDFC since October 2006. But, unfortunately till today I never received any e-mail or SMS from HDFC Bank just to get basic awareness against Cyber Crime or any fraudulent incident happened recently, rather than almost regularly I am receiving e-mails and phone calls (sometimes)from Bank regarding Bank Loan facility, Family Insurance coverage, Credit Card activation, updating account sensitive details etc. As a result, now a days so many customers of HDFC Bank like me have been losing their valuable money from his own HDFC account unknowingly by cyber crime. You can verify the series of customer complaints against HDFC Bank lodged in 2010 through different forums, though HDFC Bank declared ‘Best Private Bank in India’ in the Euro Money Private Banking Survey 2010. If Bank claims that the account sensitive details have compromised by customer only, then Bank’s responsibility is to create awareness against cyber Crime to all customers after activation of Net Banking facility. Otherwise, how can a customer distinguish between a Phishing e-mail and original e-mail (both the e-mails are coming from HDFC Bank only)for the first time. It is also clearly indicating the inefficiency of Security and IT Department of HDFC Bank with respect to system traceability against cyber crime.

2. One customer of HDFC(Name of Customer: Mr. K.T.Divakaran Nambiar, Registered Mobile No. [protected] and Registered e-mail ID: [protected]@rediffmail.com) staying at my location at Vapi is still fighting against HDFC, Ahmedabad to recover his Rs.73000 lost through his own credit card in the month of November, 2010. Even though he didn’t try to lodge FIR against HDFC but finally HDFC Bank has assured him in writing to give full reimbursement.

3. To create a new salary account through any Bank, it requires true essential details like Valid and authenticated Telephone No, e-mail id, Pan Card details etc. But, to open a new salary account through HDFC, it requires either any Landline No. or Mobile No. not even e-mail id just to make the process easy and faster and bank doesn’t authenticate and validate Phone No, e-mail id, communication address and other details by physical verification at the time of opening the account of any customer. Due to which fraud customers instantly opened his account and activated Net Banking facility through HDFC by using fraud & invalid e-mail id and landline/mobile no. HDFC Bank should not give blame on the basis of e-mail and SMS alert against the creation of new Beneficiary to the customer like me. After the incident happened, bank has physically verified about myself.

4. Still today I am fighting with HDFC to recover my partial recovery amount (Rs. 7022) kept by Bank only and as well as the remaining amount. Bank is pressurizing me that I have to accept and sign the terms and conditions sent by HDFC, otherwise bank will not give me the said reimbursement. Even I sought clarification to the Bank regarding the acceptance of my sending format through e-mail, but I didn’t receive any e-mail from Bank till now.

5. Finally, I have gone to HDFC House, Lower Parel, Mumbai to take a pre appointment to meet Mr. Aditya Puri, Managing Director of HDFC Bank in order to accomplish a fruitful and eventual discussion. But, unfortunately I had to take back from the help desk of HDFC House after calling Mrs. Tejali M. ([protected]),Customer Service Manager – Chairman & MD Cell.

In the above backdrop, once again I am requesting you please intervene this matter deeply to help me to complete entire episode.

Regards,
Saurav Bhattacharya,
B/2/304, Rajmoti Complex(I),
Charvada Road, Gunjan, Vapi – 396 195, Gujarat, India.
(Ph: [protected] / [protected] / [protected])