ATM and banking security

Automated Teller Machines (ATM) have been targeted by criminals for theft purposes for years. Cases that have crept up in Pakistan in the last few weeks should have been anticipated. In a country where just about every form of evil and wrongdoing exists, ATM crimes are not all that flabbergasting. Of course, for most citizens, it was the nationality of the ATM thieves that caught their attention. Where many Chinese citizens have entered Pakistan with enterprising projects and ideas, there is a portion that has been welcomed with open arms to join the intricate network of criminals who roam freely. The crux of the matter, however, is that police vigilance requires great enhancement now that people from other nationalities entering and like some locals, also attempting to take shortcuts to wealth. Law-enforcement’s primary concern is to deter crime by setting valiant examples with the way it catches and handles criminals. Whether the criminals are Pakistani or Chinese should not matter and stereotyping should only conservatively be used where it facilitates intelligence and in thwarting criminal activity.

Our banking system requires heavy upgrading. Compared with other countries, it lags in certain facilities, especially with the advent of technology and mobile banking applications. Additionally, the emphasis on cash transactions needs to be reduced; credit cards currently offer more secure features. For the safety of customers, the need for one to physically be present at an ATM or bank should be mitigated. The use of ATMs has severely reduced foot traffic inside banks but authorities need to implement new technologies for banking transactions to prevent chances for criminal activity. With the influx of other populations simultaneously with new technology that can easily be misused for illicit purposes, police vigilance should be enhanced along with increasing numbers in our police forces. As an addendum, with the current precarious circumstances, Pakistan is far away from being able to support and secure crypto currency transactions, which is the next major event in finance.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2018.

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