ASSUMED ATM SECURITY FEATURE: THIS IS NOT TRUE

ASSUMED ATM SECURITY FEATURE: THIS IS NOT TRUE

Have you ever read the message below in your mail or Whats App?

“WHEN A THIEF FORCES YOU TO TAKE MONEY FROM THE ATM, DO NOT ARGUE OR RESIST, YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT HE OR SHE MIGHT DO TO YOU. WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IS TO PUNCH YOUR PIN IN THE REVERSE, I..E IF YOUR PIN IS 1254, YOU PUNCH 4521.

THE MOMENT YOU PUNCH IN THE REVERSE, THE MONEY WILL COME OUT BUT WILL BE STUCK INTO THE MACHINE HALF WAY OUT AND IT WILL ALERT THE POLICE WITHOUT THE NOTICE OF THE THIEF. EVERY ATM HAS IT; IT IS SPECIALLY MADE TO SIGNIFY DANGER AND HELP. NOT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF THIS.

FORWARD THIS TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND THOSE YOU CARE”

This message started making rounds by E-mail in December 2008 and is still running in Whats App. I am calling the attention of my readers to this false claim.  DO NOT BUY IT

Entering your PIN in reverse at any ATM will not summon the police;

Personal Security-Part 4--ATM and INTERNET SECURITY-

ATM and INTERNET SECURITY

You are using either a credit card or a debit card. That takes you to the ATM if you must spend money. Reports in the press show that Crime is rife around the ATMs.

Every so often people walk into” social engineers” by asking for help from people you do not know. It is reported that some bad people hang around the ATMs to offer “help” to unsuspecting people who do not want to operate the machine even though the machine are user friendly.

 A woman in Lagos lost over a million in a weekend. She was helped by another lady who in the process noted her Pin, and also swapped her card. The crook went to work over the weekend when the victim could not report to her bank. She only kept seeing alert! The criminal withdrew the maximum possible and transferred the rest to some foolish friends account. Foolish because one of the friends was caught but the lead criminal is at large.

Sometimes the fraudsters come by funny SMS that seems to come from your bank. Some send mails that your account will be blocked by CBN. They demand you click a link or supply some information. Please do not respond to them, if you do, they would collect your data and later clean out your account.

 Please be aware that fraudsters have developed new software & devised a new means of defrauding people, as the former trick of sending an SMS telling you that your ATM has been deactivated due to system upgrade or BVN issues, is no longer working well for them. This trick has gone public.

Personal Security -part 3

PERSONAL SECURITY WHILE TRAVELING AND WHILE IN HOTELS

I once attended a conference at one of the West African countries and I had all my money and credit / debit cards in my wallet. I was quite conscious of the wallet all through the meeting, but at lunch break time, as we were leaving the hall; there was an unnecessary struggle and traffic jam at the exit. The struggle at the gate was by design, it was a deliberate confusion. In that maze my pocket was picked and I was without any money in a strange land.

One of my friends lost his travel documents (Passport & Flight tickets) in an airport in Europe. When he narrated the troubles he passed through thereafter all who listened appreciated the need for personal security while travelling.

Once on a return trip to Nigeria from Seoul. The stopover was at Paris and we were checked into an international hotel at about midnight. The flight from Seoul had lasted eleven hours, I was tired so immediately I entered my room;I fell asleep. By 2.00 am, I was awake as that was my prayer hour. I reluctantly stood up, paced around as I was praying in tongues. To my greatest surprise, my hotel room door was opened, but the crooks were stopped by the chain, that gave me chance to shout and they disappeared before security came. ALWAYS use the door chain or bolt lock whenever you are in your room.

I will just share some tips for personal security while travelling and while in Hotels.

WHILE TRAVELLING:

·         Don't publicize your travel or vacation plans.