Jakarta, IO – Actress Asri Welas shares with us her bad experience with her banking debit card. This is a cautionary tale, yes. We cannot emphasize enough just how dangerous digital transactions can be when you are not paying attention. Quoting the infamous Bang Napi from the defunct TV show Sergap, “Crime happens not because of intention, but because there is opportunity. Beware! Beware!”
This warning is as cringeworthy and corny as it is valid.
“So let me tell you about that time somebody hacked into my ATM card,” Asri Welas stated, Monday, 24 July, amid the premier broadcast of her new series, Nurut Apa Kata Mama (“Do What Mommy Says”) in Thamrin, Central Jakarta. “You can’t be too careful, even in a fancy place. Imagine, I was robbed by the staff of a fancy restaurant in Pondok Indah Mall!” she declared as quoted by Antara.
Asri’s balance gradually diminished. There were multiple debit transactions on her account for days. The amount varied, but it kept on increasing. Some transactions were even made abroad, even though Asri herself was in Indonesia at the time. “I notice through m-banking that debits were continuously made. Finally, my balance sank to 0,” she said.
It wasn’t until she lost all her savings that Asri decided to report these suspicious debits to her bank. It turns out that the bank has been receiving similar complaints from other clients. When investigated, they discovered a similar thread to the robberies: a debit card transaction paying for a meal at a restaurant in the fancy and prestigious Pondok Indah Mall.
“Tracing discovered that the restaurant copies the card numbers or something, I don’t know what the technology is called. It turns out that an international cyber gang copied my card – and others,” she declared. “I told my bank that I never made these transactions. After investigating, the bank then returned the money used by those irresponsible people because it’s an international crime.”
Read: Arki Dikania Wisnu, An Indonesian Basketball Player – “Satria Muda’s Failure Was My Fault”
We are glad for Asri, but don’t wait until it is that late when you notice something wrong with your account. Watch cashiers closely when you hand over your debit or credit cards to pay for your transaction. Call your bank and the police immediately when you suspect something. Don’t be embarrassed or reluctant to report – we are all guaranteed safekeeping of our monies by the banks and the law. Don’t let irresponsible wretches enjoy your hard-earned money with impunity. (rp)
