ATM Card Hack! 32 Lakh Debit Cards Affected – Change your PIN now
As many as 32 lakh debit cards of customers of HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, Axis Bank, and SBI have been affected by what is being called India’s biggest ATM card hack.
As reported by the Economic Times, the breach could have been caused by a malware that was introduced in the systems of Hitachi Payments Services, a provider of ATMs and Point of Sale (POS) services. Allegedly, hackers were able to steal the details of about 32 lakh debit cards that were used in the virus-infected systems.
What’s happening at the moment?
1. SBI has blocked debit cards that were compromised in the hack and will re-issue over 600,000 cards to the affected customers.
2. Several customers have reported about unauthorized transactions made by their cards in various locations in China.
3. Other banks such as Bank of Baroda, IDBI Bank, Central Bank, and Andhra Bank who have not been affected by the breach have replaced their debit cards as a precautionary measure.
4. ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and Yes Bank have asked customers to change their ATM PIN.
5. Yes Bank has capped cash withdrawal to a maximum Rs 5,000 per day till the ATM PIN is changed.
6. Most banks are advising their customers to use their respective bank’s ATMs and not a third party one.
7. An inquiry has been ordered by the Payments Council of India to locate the origin of the breach in Indian bank servers and systems.
What should you do?
If you have received a message from your bank about getting a new debit card or change your ATM PIN, follow the instruction immediately. It is strongly recommended to change the PIN in any case, just to be on a safer side.
Also, follow these security practices for safer ATM banking
1. Change your ATM PIN once every 3-6 months.
2. Never share your bank details over emails, calls, or SMSs no matter how genuine the caller/sender may seem.
3. Alert your bank if you notice any unauthorized transactions in your account.
4. Use ATMs that are located in busy places. Avoid using those that are in remote or hidden locations such as those behind buildings, parking lots, and spots that are away from public view. For obvious reasons, such ATMs are usually targetted by cybercriminals.
5. If you are using an ATM for the first time, check for ATM skimmers (fake parts that steal card details) before putting in your debit/credit card. While a visual inspection may not be helpful, you can always do a physical inspection by trying to tug, push or pull parts like the card reader, keypad, the cash dispenser, the lining of the screen, etc. ATMs generally don’t have parts that are badly constructed, are loose and oddly fashioned.
Also read: What Banks Are Saying About this Data Breach
Share this post with your friends and peers so that they can also take the necessary precaution against this incident.
Sources:
• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/54945561.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaig
• https://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/32-lakh-atm-cards-hacked-is-your-debit-card-safe-should-you-change-pin-everything-you-need-to-know/1/791424.html
• https://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/sbi-recalls-600-000-debit-cards-as-questions-linger-about-after-effects/story-FG865Dcz1ulAOYEdFTTxnI.html
31 Comments
When cell phones have come up with the finger print sensors, wouldn’t the same technology be good for the Debit and Credit cards too? Totally eliminating the need to remember passwords, which needs to be changed every now and then, how many passwords can one go on changing and remembering or noting down? So I feel finger prints or iris scan is the answer to the passwords hacking issue.
Thanks for help full information, can the details of cards saved on e-wallets (paytm, freecharge, mobikwik etc.) are also unsafe for us.
Hi Deepak,
As long as these websites follow the standard security protocols, your details are safe.
Regards,
Great article with a lot of info I’m certainly going to use! Keep it up.
Prercaution is better than cure.
Thanks for information.
Good
When I wanted to change my pin online, four options were asked but there was not option “changing pin for security purpose” so I could not do this. I have suggested the HDFC ban to put this option so that people can change the pin for security purpose also.
I Agreed With You
Help ful messages..
Yes …. Ya ya …
very essential and needful blog.
Thanks for the advice , it is really necessary to follow the instructions . I will do it .
Good antivirus
Thanks for the post, Rajiv.
Sir, Inspite of hoping the customers to check the ATM parts, why don’t bank officials and security guards at ATM are asked to inspect the ATM parts every morning and evening. Moreover if the ATM parts are being changed by some hackers, its not a matter of seconds or minutes. Definitely there is some breach in the officials of the respected banks.
My ATM card has been blocked and I am worried. What to do??
Hi Sartaj,
Please approach your Bank.
Regards,
this msg is very useful
Yes I am secure my ATM pin card
Thanks for news
This fraud is biggest fraud n mindfull fraud .
this information will help a lot in checking the ATM safely and keep our money safe.
It is useful
Thank you
I think that usage of ATM / Cards are associated with savings accounts and shopping only. So, minimizing balance left in savings account can also be suggested unless hackers have access to term deposits and net banking, e-commerce too.
Is that impossible for banks to restrict ATM / card based usage only within customer’s own city at least for some time present ?
It’s not only savings bank accounts but even ur current account and credit card thats prone to fraud. . I’m a axis bank account holder and in the last 10 days someone has successfully managed to change my registered phone no in all my accounts. . Fortunately I got sms messages from the bank and could change it back. … This means someone has all my details as it’s not easy to change a customers phone no unless the guy trying to has all the details that the customer care person needs before that change is done.
So please be careful in todays times. .. you may see all your money just dissapearing due to some fraud and the bank won’t take responsibility for the same
this is working success full
Guardian not actveshen pleces help
Hi Sumanth,
Thank you for writing in. Our support engineers would gladly help you with this issue. Please visit https://bit.ly/QHChat to chat with us online. You can also raise a ticket at https://bit.ly/Askus and we will get back to you at the earliest.
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Pls I forgot my ATM card pin,so pls can you help me out,to hack it and get a new pin pls
Hi,
Please get in touch with your bank.
Regards,