An email advising ATM users to type in their pin codes in reverse to alert police to criminal activity was a hoax, the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric) warned in Wednesday. <\/p>\n
In a statement, Sabric chief executive officer Kalyani Pillay said the information contained in the email was false and should be ignored. <\/p>\n
“No ATM in South Africa is equipped with a facility to alert police of any distress of a bank customer at any point, irrespective of whether you key in your ATM card PIN in reverse.” <\/p>\n
She said it was not the first time the email had been circulated and its origin was unfortunately unknown. <\/p>\n
The email claims that if a customer is forced by a criminal to make a transaction they should type in their pin codes in reverse order and this would summon the police. <\/p>\n
Pillay urged banking customers to be alert at all times about their financial dealings even when receiving information that was seemingly credible and helpful. <\/p>\n
“We advise bank customers to validate any unsolicited information that they receive either by email, telephone or even hearsay with their banks prior to acting upon it. <\/p>\n
“The alertness of bank clients is often the best preventative measure against many bank-related scams,” said Pillay.<\/p>\n