A message has been circulating on Whatsapp claiming to be advice from Reserve Bank of India ( RBI).
The message asks users to press the ‘cancel’ button twice on an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) to prevent someone from stealing your PIN number. ” A very useful tip while withdrawing funds from an ATM. Press ‘cancel’ button twice before inserting the card. If anyone has set up the keypad to steal your PIN code, this will cancel that setup. Please make it a habit and part of every transaction that you make. Share for your Circle people.”
Fact check
The message was also spread online a few months ago. The message was debunked by U.S.- based website Snopes. The message did not originate from law enforcement, Snopes said.
*Message from RBI*
– A very useful tip while withdrawing funds from an ATM.
– Press ‘cancel’ button twice before inserting the card. If anyone has set up the key pad to steal your PIN code, this will cancel that set up.
Please make it a habit and part of every transaction— Nikkil (@onlynikil) November 25, 2018
In India, the message claims to be from RBI, so that it seems authentic. However, a source from RBI told BOOMLive that the message is fake.
“Obviously, there is no credibility to this message,” BOOMLive quotes Ashwin Shenoy, Assistant Vice President, Manipal Technologies Limited.
“No, the RBI will never get into this. This is just a rumour as RBI doesn’t get into how an ATM functions. How the ATM functions depends entirely on the Banks and the vendors who have given the ATM services want the ATM to function. RBI has no role in it,” Shenoy added.
Skimmers are the most common device used for ATM frauds. It is a device that can be attached over an ATM machine’s card slot to read information from the card.
Due to the rise in ATM frauds, RBI in June 2018 also asked banks to upgrade their ATMs or face action.
Though this message is FAKE but one needs to be careful with ATM transactions and online transactions.
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