Amery’s credit card used in Brazil and TT

MIRANDA LA ROSE

THIS country’s Ambassador to Brazil Dr Amery Browne is urging the public using local bank to be more vigilant and check their credit card statements. This after $14,000 was spent from his Scotia MasterCard account in TT, over a three-day period last week, while he was at the mission in Brasilia.

“I only realised the issue when I accessed the Scotia website to view my account details, as I do every week or so,” Browne told Newsday. “While I am hard at work here in Brasilia,” he added, “simultaneously someone was comfortably using it incessantly and massively at gas stations across Trinidad for days with no problemo.”

He asked that regardless of the banks people use, people should check their statement details urgently to identify, “if you have been hit” and to be on high alert for suspicious activity associated with their cards. “I am concerned about what happened and the fact that the bank’s systems failed to immediately stop these transactions even though they were obviously fraudulent,” he said.

“The bank really should have been in a position to intervene as myriad transactions were occurring over a period of three days at various gas stations using one card, amounting to $14,000.

“That was obviously contrary to the client’s normal pattern and location of use,” he said. He has since blocked the card and, “we’ll see if this bank rectifies the fraudulent transactions.” Efforts to contact Scotia Bank management were futile as messages left were not returned. His biggest concern, Browne said, “is for other citizens who may be victims of this type of attack and who may not even realise it.

Hence my message to all that nowadays you have to basically maintain a daily ongoing scrutiny of your credit card statement. It is very likely the perpetrators have tentacles within the heart of the banking system itself.”