The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Regional Director Dr Amir Sheikh on Tuesday revealed that the agency has launched a probe into the ATM skimming fraud.
It is worth-mentioning that hundreds of Pakistanis lost millions of rupees over a period of few weeks after they fell prey to an ATM skimming fraud. “We approached the bank’s management and solicited information,” said Sheikh, adding that the investigation has been handed over to cybercrime experts.
The FIA director added that immediate action could be taken if an affected person or bank lodged an official complaint with the agency’s cyber crime wing.
“Four similar incidents were detected in the past,” he said. “We took action and arrested three Chinese nationals after a bank approached us [FIA] regarding the matter.”
A spokesperson for Habib Bank Limited, Naveed Asghar, said on Tuesday that the bank had started depositing money in the accounts of the affected customers.
He further said that the bank’s administration was in constant contact with the account holders who have been affected by the fraudulent activity.
“The bank has informed the State Bank of Pakistan and all the relevant departments, in compliance with legal regulations,” said Asghar.
Speaking to a news channel, some of the affected account holders said that the bank had deposited the full amount that was skimmed after they provided the complete details of the incident. A total of 585 account holders were affected, sources said.