My question to the bank was that how could it be reactivated and a transaction made without my knowledge.
KARACHI: On August 21, 2013, I was mugged near PAF Shaheen Housing, Karachi. I lost my mobile phone, wallet, ATM and credit cards. Around 15 minutes after the mugging, I reported this to my bank and my cell phone provider and had my card and SIM both blocked. After 39 days of the said incident, on September 30, my phone number, which I had reactivated after the incident, got blocked again. Upon calling my cell phone company, I was told that perhaps my SIM card had been corrupted and I should have a new one re-issued.
What I found out was that the SIM was still active and some person was using it to make calls pretending to be me. I also found out that he made 13 calls to the bank’s helpline and managed to get the blocked credit card reactivated. He then did a transaction of Rs1,000 at a petrol pump and then bought something from an electronics store for Rs64,897. After this, the card was blocked again.
When I called the bank’s helpline I was told that the card is already in use. My question to the bank was that how could it be reactivated and a transaction made without my knowledge. I also rang the mobile phone company and asked them how could they have issued another SIM without first checking the person’s details and original CNIC?
So far, the phone company has responded by saying that they are “looking into the matter” but as for the bank, it has not even responded. I have also reported all this to the FIA’s Cybercrimes Division and that is my only hope now.
Umair Shams
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2013.
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