Tongans hit by bank card scam

TONGA – Hundreds of Tongans have had their bank cards blocked and reissued with new cards after they fell victim to regional scammers.

Customers who had unauthorised transactions on their account as a result of the fraudulent activity will be reimbursed, a statement from Tonga National Reserves Bank said.

The National Bank said it was aware customers of banks in Tonga have been affected by the fraudulent activities in Fiji which involved obtaining customers’ bank card details using ATM and EFTPOS skimming devices.

The local banks are dealing with customers that have used their cards in Fiji in the past 12 months.

“Bank cardholders who have travelled to Fiji in the past year are urged to reconcile their bank account statements to ensure your accounts have not been victimised,” the statement said.

Customers were warned to be vigilant whenever they used their VISA Cards “at ATMs and EFTPOS machines, when accessing their bank accounts online and when conducting online purchases or payments”.

“Customers whose cards appear to have been used for unauthorised transactions should immediately contact their respective bank.”

- Kaniva News