After being hit by a massive bank card heist last week, commercial bank say they will unilaterally and immediately block credit and debit card accounts on which they suspect suspicious activity.
The Barbados Bankers’ Association (BBA) said yesterday that while the move might inconvenience some customers, it was a necessary step following the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from an undisclosed number of customers at automatic teller machines across the island.
The theft was allegedly pulled off by a group of Eastern European visitors.
“Customers should also be aware that if their bank notices any suspicious transactions, we will immediately block the debit or credit cards involved in order to prevent activity on the account while the matter is investigated.
“This measure may be inconvenient to the affected customers but it is a critical step in ensuring that no further fraudulent activity takes place on customers’ accounts. Customers whose cards are blocked will be contacted by their bank and replacement cards issued from their branch,” the BBA disclosed. (GE)
