THE television programme ‘Windows to Republic bank’ is a very welcome initiative by Republic Bank Ltd that must be commended. However, it came a little too late for a few of us. Guyanese are generally a very loving and somewhat naïve people.
A few evil elements would have noticed this and decided to cash in on our ignorance. It is my guess that the frequency with which the accounts of persons are being targeted may have served as a stimulus to the creation and airing of this programme.
Electronic banking brings ease and speed of banking and transaction of businesses. However, as with all other advances in technology in our society it comes with its share of risks that many times leave us vulnerable and exposed.
I must emphasise the importance of practising the precautionary measures highlighted in the television programme. Failing to do so can result in real loss of hard-earned money. To make matters worse, it appears as though we are not fully capable of investigating these forms of crime. As a result, the wait to know if your account will be replenished could be lengthy.
I would like to suggest the addition of one other component to the various levels of security that already exist. That would be, to have the computer system request the PIN (personal identification number) for every online transaction, as is required when you use the ATM or when using your card in person, before giving access to that account.
Once again, I applaud the move by Republic Bank Ltd and at the same time implore the Guyana Police Force to improve their investigative capabilities to bring perpetrators of cyber crimes to justice.