Applying For A Credit Card On The Phone Almost Cost A CIMB Customer RM12,000
The moral of this story - never apply for a credit card from anywhere but the bank's branch itself... unless you want to be loaded with massive credit card debts!
By Samantha Khor — 16 Apr 2015, 07:41 PM
Earlier today, we stumbled upon a Facebook post that immediately caught our attention. A cautionary post by CIMB Bank account holder Renee Koh revealed that money cheats have devised a new way to siphon money off of unsuspecting individuals.
Koh's post divulged that she'd agreed to apply for a credit card when she was contacted by a person who claimed to be from CIMB Malaysia, as he appeared to have her personal details on hand
The first warning sign came about a week later, when the same guy requested for information about her security question in order to have her approved credit card delivered to her office. She declined.
It became apparent that something was wrong when Koh received a message about her SIM card being replaced without her knowledge, rendering her current line unusable. Fortunately, she was within range of a Maxis service centre who quickly transferred the line back to her.
That's not even the worst of it. Mere minutes later, Koh received a call from CIMB requesting verification for a transaction of RM12,000 via a credit card that she does not even have in her possession!
In her post, Koh exposed some security concerns in CIMB's credit card policies. What on Earth made it possible for someone else to apply for a credit card on her behalf and even use it without direct verification from the cardholder herself?
Note that Koh also highlighted that there is no hotline number available for customers to call when situations of fraud and personal data breach occur.
When contacted, CIMB merely responded with requests for her name and IC number. Koh eventually made a visit to a CIMB branch in Kota Kemuning, only to be rebuffed upon hearing that she had cancelled the card over the phone.
On the other hand, Maxis apologised almost immediately for their mistake in issuing a SIM card replacement to another person, as well as in keeping her updated on their ongoing investigation and what they are doing to prevent such incidents in the future
CIMB Bank may have been placed in the spotlight in this situation, but it is very important to note that scammers may also claim to represent other banks to front their unscrupulous activities.
When in doubt, heed these words of advice from Koh herself:
