Banks blame fraud on negligence

Heads of financials institutions have blamed their clients’ negligence as the cause to increased cases of fraud in the banking systems.Several bank managers, who spoke to The New Times, noted that carelessness of their clients to safeguard their banking tools, such as cheque books and ATM cards has helped fraudsters access and counterfeit them.“The starting point is for customers to safeguard their cheque books, because cheques are almost like money. They should also give instructions to banks that before the bank releases the money beyond a certain amount, to notify the account holder,” James Gatera, the Managing Director of Bank of Kigali said.According to police statistics, 169 counterfeit cases, including forged cheques and SIM-cards were registered last year and 56 people arrested.About 23 cases were also recorded in the last two months, in which nine people were also arrested trying to defraud varying amounts.“To ensure that the customer’s money is safe or is given to the right person, we first contact the account holder for verification,” Gatera said.However, this system is now facing challenges, though at a lesser extent, as bandits have also started to forge SIM-cards to ease their schemes.It is not clear if this system also involves workers in telecommunication companies.Thieves now block targeted individuals’ SIM-cards and make SIM-swaps, which they use, in case banks contact them, to give a go-ahead to release the money.Just last week, a man used a forged cheque and withdrew about Rwf 12 million from a Banque Populaire branch in Nyamirambo without the teller noticing. He was only intercepted when the account holder coincidentally appeared in the bank.It is alleged that this kind of robbery also involves bank employees, who provide details of the targeted person.“We have caught many people coming to withdraw money with forged cheques, like it happens even in other banks. But in case a fake cheque is used and the money is withdrawn, there is no dispute; the bank pays the customer right away; but if it is your cheque they used, that’s where trouble comes from…the owner faces the consequences,” added Gatera.Forgery, under article 263 of the protection of intellectual property law, is an offence whose sentence, upon conviction, ranges between a fine of Rwf 50,000 and Rwf 500 million or a maximum imprisonment term of five years.Subject to the provisions of this law, any industrial or commercial use, in Rwanda, of an invention, utility model, industrial design and model, mark or other distinctive sign of business, trade name, which is subject to a protection title made by any other person other than the owner or without the owner’s consent, shall constitute an act of forgery. “But there are always ways to mitigate this. Customers keeping their cheques safe; giving instructions to banks for example where no one is allowed to withdraw money apart from the account holder. That takes responsibility from a customer to the bank and reduces risks.”Maurice K. Toroitich, the Managing Director of Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Rwanda, explained that most fraud cases involve close friends and family members.“Customers, sometimes, don’t believe that it’s someone close to them who did it. But when we show them security footage - because we have CCTV installations in our banking system – they are terribly shocked seeing their sisters and brothers, wife or husband is behind such acts.He said they installed security systems to provide adequate security for their records.“But while banks take necessary precautions, customers must also take precautions such as not sharing PIN numbers for their ATM cards and not keeping their PIN numbers in the same place with cards. They should keep their cheque books under lock-and-key,” stated Toroitich. Despite having yet to register a case of forged ATM cards in Rwanda, Toroitich believes “it is possible for thieves to carryout scheming of cards.”He acknowledged that theft and attempted fraud always occur, “but through our internal control systems, many times we are able to deter all these scams. We have had a number of fraud cases that we have so far forwarded to security organs”.Currently, there is also a forum which brings together police, representatives from financial institutions and the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) to mitigate cases of financial crimes.Police also established a division of economic and financial crimes, the largest unit in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).A police Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) was also established last year to prevent, combat and investigate financial crimes, including money laundering, funding terrorists, among others.Between December 23, 2011 and January 15, 2012 alone, FIU, which coordinates with the advisory board headed by the National Bank Governor, intercepted about Rwf 764 million at Kigali international Airport.It was either being transported in or out of the country under suspicious circumstances.According to the law, any person who leaves or enters the country transporting cash or negotiable bills or exchange exceeding US$ 10,000, without prior declaration, except for funds certified by a withdrawal slip issued by an accredited bank, will be committing a money laundering offence.