AS EVERY FILIPINO KNOWS, THE CHRISTMAS season in the Philippines begins on Sept. 1 when every radio disc jockey tries to be the first to play a Christmas carol.

Hardworking Filipinos take that as a signal to start making a list, checking it twice and preparing a budget for everything they consider essential in making the season merry. Of course, to many not-so-good men and women, Sept. 1 also means they have to work harder to ensure they have a merry Christmas?at the expense of honest, hard-working Filipinos.

The warning of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) about automated teller machine switchers and surfers is timely and something we should keep in mind, not just during the holiday season but every time we use those electronic devices.

According to the BSP, switching and surfing are being used by con men and women to steal bank cards and personal identity number. The BSP, in a press statement, said felons would approach a person who had just used a machine and tell him/her a P500 or any paper bill was stuck in the ATM.

They would encourage the cardholder to check his/her balance to make sure he/she was not short-changed. Checking the balance would, of course, involve reinserting the card and entering the PIN.

The suspects would surreptitiously read the PIN, as it was being entered. Then they would cause a distraction, like dropping some money and letting the victim pick it up, to give them enough time to switch the client?s ATM card with a fake one. The card, of course, would look exactly like the victim?s own, so if he/she does not check the name on the card, he/she would go away thinking that nothing was amiss.

With his/her real ATM card and PIN, the con men and women would be able to withdraw from the client?s account before the switch was discovered.

Surfing

The BSP said another ploy used by felons was ?shoulder surfing.? They would stand close to the machine, pretending to be waiting for their turn to use it, so they could read someone?s PIN as it was being entered.

?If you feel that somebody is standing too close [to you], don?t be afraid to tell [him/her] to step back or let him/her use the machine before you do, the BSP said. And always remember to shield the ATM with your body and your hands as you enter the information required.

Bank clients, the BSP said, should also check a machine before using it, inspecting it for things that they would not normally see in similar devices. PINs should also not be shared with anyone, even family members and close friends, the BSP added.

Cardless transactions

Some banks are already taking steps to make using the ATM safer for its clients, eliminating the need for cards and PINs unless the user wants to access account information.

The Bank of the Philippine Islands, for instance, now allows cardless envelope deposit and bills payment. Clients can make deposits and pay bills through the ATM by using numbered BPI deposit envelopes. Simply by pressing the Enter key on the ATM pad, the client or his/her representative can complete the transaction.

This is convenient not just for the bank client himself/herself but the person sent to make deposits or payments, who can now skip the long queues inside the banks. ATM receipts would serve as proof of deposit/payment made.

If somebody, other than the bank client, tries to access account information like balance, the machine will then ask for the PIN. Unless the client shares his/her PIN with somebody else, the person, other than the depositor, can only make deposits and/or payments.

Mike Bernabe, head of BPI?s Express Teller department, said the new facility was meant to allow both BPI and non-BPI cardholders to use the ATM to make a deposit or payment, either in cash or check, minimizing the need for the often time-consuming Over the Counter transactions.

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