[Resolved]  Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) — Sub: Transfer of fund through net banking fraudulently from SB A/c. No: [protected] in Ratnakar Bank Ltd., T.Nagar Branch, Chennai.

Address:

Chennai, Tamil Nadu

From, Mrs. Niharika Agarwal, Old No.60, New No.70, Nattu Pillayar Koil Street, Chennai-600 001. Call : [protected] Email : [protected]@hotmail.com This is with reference to Saving Bank Account Number:[protected], which is operated by me with Ratnakar Bank Ltd., T.Nagar Branch, Chennai. Suddenly, on midnight of 21.10.2014 and during early hours of 22.10.2014, a sum of Rs.1, 20, 000/- (in 24 times of Rs.5, 000/- each time) had been transferred from my account by somebody without my knowledge. It was shocking that such fraud is done during midnight and early morning when all are fast asleep. I was totally unaware of such transactions and only after waking-up, through various SMS, I came to know that such amount has been transferred from my account to somebody else account. Immediately, I lodged a complaint through customer Care Number of Police Department and also lodged a written complaint on 27.10.2014 to Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Chennai-7. I also informed my banker to stop the debit of any further amount from my account through net banking until the matter is resolved. I state that my husband Mr.Praveen Kumar Agarwal, having SB accounts No:[protected] with the same branch of Ratnakar Bank Ltd., also faced similar fraudulent transfer money of Rs.3, 50, 000/- from his account on 12.09.2014. Immediate, action was taken and the transfer of money was stopped at the stage of transferee bank. My husband had filed similar complaint before the crime branch as well as the banker. The amount was withheld from being released to the account holder at other end due to prompt and immediate steps were taken by my husband, as the said fraud was done around 9.17 hrs in the morning and further it was a day time to take prompt action. The bank did not react to such fraudulent transfer till date and no enquiry or investigation is being done by the banker to trace out the real culprits behind such fraudulent transfer by hacking one’s mail id and password. I state that on knowing such fraudulent transfer on 12/9/14 (from the account of my husband), immediately, myself and my husband submitted a request in Form-A, requesting the bank not to send OTP through email and immediately de-activate mail service for transfer of OTP by retaining SMS alert activation service alone. The said form was submitted on 22.09.2014, but, I understand that the banker has not taken any initiative so far to de-activate the service of sending OTP through mail. If the banker would have acted promptly against my request in Form-A, then the subsequent fraudulent of transfer of fund from my account on 22.10.2014, could have been avoided. But due to lethargic and evasive attitude of the banker, I have been un-necessarily made to undergo financial loss of Rs.1, 20, 000/- and this transfer has been done in piece-meal at 24 times by transferring Rs.5, 000/- every time. In response to my complaint, the banker has replied on 05.11.2014 by stating that the OTP alerts through email is a mandatory requirement as per RBI guidelines and so, it has to be followed by the banker and if, still, I insists to dealt such service, then, it would be done by the banker with the prospective date in future. I state that if sending of OTP through email ID is mandatory as per RBI guidelines then the Form-A should not contain the option of seeking SMS alert activation and email alert activation. The customer is advised to select either any one of service or both, as per his discretion. The statement made by the banker of mandatory requirement of sending OTP through email is misnomer and misleading with an intension to avoid the responsibility of fraudulent transfer of fund due to its carelessness. The entire fraudulent transfer of amount from my account is solely due to the irresponsible attitude of the banker towards its customer. Having noticed such fraud in my husband’s case in the previous month (Sep.2014) they could have taken precaution to avoid such incidence in future. The possibility of hacking the mail and getting password is also not an easy task, unless, the person is aware of mail ID and password of a customer and usually it is unknown fact to the bankers. I am not able to recover the said amount as the same has been utilized of the person involved in fraud, in recharging 24 times through Vodafone. This shows that the fate of customer like me is at the mercy of bankers and their hard earned money is being miss-used in fraudulent manner, as happened in my case. For the reasons stated above, I earnestly request Your Goodself to take appropriate steps, investigate the matter and get back the amount by taking appropriate action against the person involved in such activities at the earliest and do the needful. Thanking You, Yours Faithfully, Sent through Registered post Cc to : Shri U Chiranjeevi, Reserve Bank of India Ratnakar Bank Ltd, Head Office, Kolhapur Ministry of Finance, New Delhi Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai