[comp.misc] Citibank, ATM, electronic transactions

mii@philabs.philips.com (Melik I. Isbara) (07/12/90)

I have tried to post the following article previously but I think I was
unsuccessful in doing that because it did not appear in the news groups
where I sent it. So I am posting it again. If it already appeared 
I apologize for that.
*************************************
I am posting this article to inform the netters about a problem with
Citibank ATM machines and to ask for any information and suggestions.
Please bear with me.

When I received my last bank statement, I have noticed three transactions
in which $900 dollars were withdrawn from my accounts from a Citibank
ATM machine at a downtown NYC branch which I have never used. 
($900 were withdrawn in three transactions.)

FACTS:
	1.  I did not do those transactions.
	2.  When they took place I was at work out of NYC.
	3.  I did not lose my bankcard or give it to anyone.
	4.  I did not write down my password or tell it to anyone.

After I received my statement I went to my branch and talked to a customer
representative.  After a couple of days I got two letters from Citibank
saying that results of their investigation (which consists only of looking
at the ATM machine records for those specific transactions) showed that
for those transactions my bankcard and my password were used therefore
they could not honor my claim.

Now my guess is that this is most probably a software problem because last 
weekend I went to the branch where money was withdrawn and there was a sign 
on the door saying that the ATM machines there were out of order. I also
learned that they have been out of order for about a week.

I am going to take a legal action against to Citibank therefore
I would like to know if anybody is aware of a similar situation or if anyone
has any ideas on how this might have happened.  I would appreciate any 
information and suggestions that can help me to fight Citibank to recover my 
money and to explain how this event might have happened.

Please e-mail to 
		  mii@briar.philips.com
		  isbara@cs.columbia.edu 
Thanks in advance.

Melik Isbara
Columbia University
Dept. of Electrical Eng.
NY, NY 10027
*****************************************************
Disclaimer: My employer is not responsible for the content of the article
posted above.

paul@infotel.UUCP (paul) (07/19/90)

In article <103481@philabs.Philips.Com>, mii@philabs.philips.com (Melik I. Isbara) writes:
> When I received my last bank statement, I have noticed three transactions
> in which $900 dollars were withdrawn from my accounts from a Citibank
> ATM machine at a downtown NYC branch which I have never used. 
> ($900 were withdrawn in three transactions.)
> 
> FACTS:
> 	1.  I did not do those transactions.
> 	2.  When they took place I was at work out of NYC.
> 	3.  I did not lose my bankcard or give it to anyone.
> 	4.  I did not write down my password or tell it to anyone.

	A good friend of my had a similar problem to yours.  Money kept
disappearing from his account thru a local ATM, even after he told them
to cancel his ATM card.  After many threats the bank reviewed their security
tapes and came back that a girl in a sports car with black hair was the
one withdrawing money.  They ask if he knew any girls with black hair
(this is a form of positive ID I guess) to which he answered yes.  They 
said that obviously he had allowed her to use his card.  He cut up his
only ATM card in front of them and transactions still kept happening.  
He finally closed his account but never got any money back. The bank
said that the total amount in question was under some limit at which
point they would become liable.

I wish you luck.

Paul Bilke
StarTel Inc.
(texsun|ut-emx)!infotel!paul	409-779-2830

myamin@cbnewsm.att.com (m.yamin) (07/21/90)

From article <27775@infotel.UUCP>, by paul@infotel.UUCP (paul):
> In article <103481@philabs.Philips.Com>, mii@philabs.philips.com (Melik I. Isbara) writes:
>> When I received my last bank statement, I have noticed three transactions
> 	A good friend of my had a similar problem to yours.  Money kept
> disappearing from his account thru a local ATM, even after he told them
> to cancel his ATM card.  After many threats the bank reviewed their security
> tapes and came back that a girl in a sports car with black hair was the
> one withdrawing money.  They ask if he knew any girls with black hair
> (this is a form of positive ID I guess) to which he answered yes.

No, the security tape as described implicated not "a girl with black hair"
but a girl driving a *sports car* with black hair.  How many girls do you
know who drive sports cars with black hair?
						myamin@cbnewsm.att.com

jeffd@ficc.ferranti.com (Jeff Daiell) (07/22/90)

In article <1990Jul21.153258.4985@cbnewsm.att.com>, myamin@cbnewsm.att.com (m.yamin) writes:
 
> No, the security tape as described implicated not "a girl with black hair"
> but a girl driving a *sports car* with black hair.  How many girls do you
> know who drive sports cars with black hair?

None.  They use their hands.


Jeff




-- 
"...the American dream, in recent years the object of much denigration even 
within our own borders, turns out to have been the world's dream, as well."

                  -- Louis Rukeyser on events in Eastern Europe

v112pdl5@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Mark J Cromwell) (07/23/90)

In article <7952@fy.sei.cmu.edu>, prp@sei.cmu.edu (Patrick Place) writes...
>Funny I read that as a girl who drove a sports car with black hair.
>I've seen many sports cars, but none of them have ever had black hair.
>Seems to me that this car should be pretty easy to identify.
> 
>Pat Place   prp@sei.cmu.edu

  If a girl were driving a sports car, why would she take along some black
hair? Some kind of satanic ritual? And why did you read that article as a
girl who drove a sports car with black hair? Going out buying a sports car,
possibly having a sex change, and then purchasing black hair is rather too
much just to prepare to read an article.


				- Mark Cromwell

hsieh@flash.tandem.com (Richard Hsieh) (07/24/90)

In article <7952@fy.sei.cmu.edu> you write:
>In article <85U4.H3@xds11.ferranti.com>, jeffd@ficc.ferranti.com (Jeff Daiell) writes:
>> In article <1990Jul21.153258.4985@cbnewsm.att.com>, myamin@cbnewsm.att.com (m.yamin) writes:
>>  
>> > No, the security tape as described implicated not "a girl with black hair"
>> > but a girl driving a *sports car* with black hair.  How many girls do you
>> > know who drive sports cars with black hair?
>> 
>> None.  They use their hands.
>
>Funny I read that as a girl who drove a sports car with black hair.
>I've seen many sports cars, but none of them have ever had black hair.
>Seems to me that this car should be pretty easy to identify.
>
>Pat Place   prp@sei.cmu.edu

Back to much more serious issue.
Being an Oriental, I know dozens of "black hair" girls who drive sports cars,
What make of the car? You name it, from Miata to Porsche.
Should I stay away from CITIBANK? or any bank's employee/invastigator regards 
this as an evidence?
Ah! In my case, they will say "How many girls you know who drives a sports
car with BLOND hair?:-) :-)

   


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phone : (408) 865-4987
e-mail: hsieh_richard@comm.tandem.com