Banks have given special directive to ATM booth guards to keep an eye on foreigners entering ATM booths. This has come following the issuing of a warning by central bank over cyber security.
Pubali Bank’s Managing Director, Abdul Halim Chowdhury, says: “We are worried about foreigners who are entering out booths to steal money; the ATM booth security guards have been asked to keep an eye on all foreigners.”
A special order has been issued to keep an eye on people wearing glasses, masks and caps.
Both digital and physical security are being ramped up, he added.
Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Md Sirajul Islam, says: “During Eid, banks will be closed for five days; any nefarious groups may commit a crime during this time so special warning has been given to banks.”
Bangladesh Bank has said that banks will have to be visited by officials at night on holidays and special measures taken to ensure complete security of vaults, IT systems and ATM booths.
A survey done by Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management says that around half the banks in the country are at risk. Only fifty per cent of banks have been able to establish Next Generation Firewall Software.
Of the rest, 35 percent have installed this partially while 15 per cent still have the security system at the approval stage.
Recently, a foreign cyber-crime group has stolen Tk 0.4 million from a Dutch Bangla ATM; in this incident, police later arrested six Ukrainian nationals from a hotel in the city.
A leading official of a private bank, says: “Criminals usually select holiday period to commit a heist; they adopt ingenious techniques to steal money.”