HDFC Bank — Fraudulent Debit in my Savings Account maintained with HDFC Bank

Address:

Hooghly, West Bengal

I, Somnath Mukherjee, residing at 91/P Joy Krishna Street, Uttarpara, Hooghly, W.B, 712258, in the capacity of an individual account holder of HDFC Bank Ltd. - Noida Sector 18 Branch, Uttar Pradesh - 201 301 (Account Number : [protected]) lodge this complaint before your Honorable Office.

On 26th April 2011, I received two SMS alerts on my mobile intimating two different transactions on my said account notifying debits of ` 17,558.61 /- and ` 16,538.35 /- at 13.04 and 13.30 hrs respectively. The narration of both transactions contained the string “POS” in them, apparently implying Debit Card swiping on EDC Machines at some India Post merchant establishment, to a layman like myself. Being in my office at Kolkata and assuming full and secure custody of my Debit Card (Number: [protected]), linked with the aforesaid account, I was taken to an utter surprise by this incident and apprehended a fraudulent act. I made an immediate attempt to login to my Internet Banking account, but the access was denied owing to change in the password. Copy of the extract of my Bank statement illustrating both the transactions is also available and can be furnished in course of time.

The matter was instantaneously brought to the notice of the HDFC Bank Phone-Banking representative, who registered my complaint (Ref # KOL001407, 204335, 204336) and subsequently blocked all debits to my account using alternative channels, viz. Debit Card, ECS, Mobile and Internet payment gateways.
Suffering a substantial financial loss, uncertain about any amicable outcome, coupled with the harassment of arranging other way and means to honour my committed and scheduled Bills / EMIs payments, I waited for more than a week for the Bank’s response on my complaint. As a last and final recourse I conveyed the entire episode through an email to Shri Aditya Puri – MD & CEO, HDFC Bank Ltd. The MD’s office, represented by the Escalated Complaints department of HDFC Bank Ltd. registered the complaint vide docket no. MD[protected]DB and on 5th May 2011 an Officer from some Investigation Department of the Bank called me up, assuring me to settle the issue by 8th May 2011.

After a sustained period of silence on the part of HDFC Bank, I mailed a reminder to the Escalated Complaints department as well as to Shri Aditya Puri on 9th May 2011 and pointed out at their failure to resolve my case within 8th May 2011 as promised and urged for an immediate credit of the total amount of ` 34,096.96 /-, being wrongfully deducted from my account. I was literally taken to my wit’s end when I received a letter from the Escalated Complaints department of HDFC Bank Ltd. on 10th May 2011, whereby the Bank has disowned all that responsibility of the fraudulent activity, citing that these were valid / authorized E-commerce transactions and that the same could have never been successful without compromising of privileged information on my part. The mail correspondences referred to as above is available during course of time.

I assume full responsibility to assert that I have not shared nor misplaced any of the confidential and privileged information pertaining to my account and in the given circumstances it still remains unclear how an unknown miscreant can break all such multi layered authentication process to complete the transaction and even block my Internet Banking facility. It would be worthwhile to mention in this regard that my Debit Card transaction limit has also been enhanced without any of my consent and knowledge, posing yet another question to the rightful execution of the Bank. Finally, in all probabilities, the intention and integrity of the Bank appears vulnerable upon their endeavor to label any “POS” transaction as an E-commerce one.

Apart from the financial loss of ` 34,096.96 /- that I have incurred, all that harassment and mental agony that I have undergone, managing and streamlining my committed payments, after all the repeated and futile representations made before HDFC Bank Ltd., the Bank’s role to simply shrug off all responsibilities is widely unacceptable and condemnable. Having maintained the profile of a bonafide and responsible Bank customer and conforming to every kind of prudential guidelines as expected, such an instance is a severe blow to the entire system, the loopholes depicted and exposed being all the more shocking, calls for attention.

Sir, I request your kind office to intervene into the matter, initiate all necessary investigations to unfurl the truth and reverse the amount of ` 34,096.96 /- in a speedy redress process.