Danamon ATM

Danamon ATM

I am a Dutchman, living in Bekasi since February 1996. I put
the money I brought with me in Danamon Bank in Metropolitan Mall
in Bekasi, because I wanted it to be safe. I received an ATM card
from Danamon Bank to be able to take money out of the ATM
machine.

Early in November I withdrew money (one million rupiah) from
the ATM machine in Metropolitan Mall. But I forgot to take my ATM
card out of the machine. Stupid, of course, but my mind was on
other things since I had just left the hospital after a severe
heart attack and it had taken a very long time for me to get my
KIMS; so my normal attitude of discipline was not sharp.

I only noticed the card was missing when I went to withdraw
money for a hospital deposit 10 days later. Then my balance was
only 20,000 rupiah (from an earlier ten million rupiah).

Investigation showed that a thief was easily able to change
the pin code of my ATM card, because he did not have to enter the
old pin code first, just a new code. This means the thief could
use the card every day to withdraw up to three million rupiah
(the maximum for one day), until the account was empty.

I think, when someone wants to change the pin code, the
machine should ask for the old pin code first; even when the card
is already in the machine. For the customer it would be no
burden, because it would be for his safety. And a thief would be
unable to steal more than the limit for one day. I agree, that
this is my risk, but what happened after the pin code was
changed, is an error in the bank's system.

Now Danamon Bank makes it easy for a thief to steal money,
when a card is left in the machine.

After I went to a director of the bank and filed my complaint,
I received a letter from lower management, saying that losing the
card was my own risk. I already knew that, but they did not
respond to my complaint, that the system was wrong, enabling
thieves to steal more money than just the withdrawal limit for
one day.

So I wrote a personal letter to the president director as well
as to the president commissioner of Danamon Bank on Nov. 22,
1996. In that letter I put 10 questions and asked for a quick,
personal response. I heard nothing! One week later I telephoned
her secretary; still no answer. On Dec. 17, 1996 I wrote a second
letter to the president director, asking for a response to my
first letter. One week later I received a letter from the lower
staff with the same remark as before and no answer to my
questions.

Let this serve as a warning to customers that they should not
forget to take their cards out of ATM machines.

JOB VAN'T VEER

Bekasi, West Java