WhatsApp message says avoid ATMs; ignore, say bankers
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WhatsApp message says avoid ATMs; ignore, say bankers

With rumours of ransomware attacks flying thick and fast, Noida residents panic. Are they still going ahead with online and ATM transactions?

WhatsApp message says avoid ATMs; ignore, say bankers

With rumours of ransomware attacks flying thick and fast on various social media platforms, and news channels, too, picking up on the scent, Noida residents seemed panicked about conducting e-transactions or using the ATM.

Residents fear an exposure of their banking and financial details and becoming victims of cyber fraud.

However, city bankers called the whole thing a hoax, and that the panic was being caused by the rumours circulating on various social media platforms.

Speaking to City Spidey, Jagjeet Raghav, a resident of Sector 26, Noida, said that he and his elderly father were alarmed after receiving updates on WhatsApp. “Initially, we ignored such messages, which were being repeatedly sent on WhatsApp groups, but we were taken aback when we saw the same news flash on several TV channels. We further looked it up on the internet. Although I have stopped online transactions, I had to withdraw money from the ATM yesterday. Thankfully, I have not faced any problem yet,” added Raghav.

Sanjay Tyagi, a retired army official who had come to deposit a cheque at the Sector 2 SBI branch, said he, too, had stopped all online transactions. “One of my relatives has already been made a victim of online fraud — Rs 20,000 was stolen from his account recently,” Tyagi said.

Tyagi, too, had received an alert on WhatsApp.

Sumit Kashyap, an IT professional from Noida, told City Spidey that most of the panic has been caused by rumours and that ransomware can only affect outdated operating systems, such as Windows XP.

The bankers City Spidey spoke to denied the presence of any such risk and said their security systems were prepared to face all threats. However, they also said customers must avoid visiting “unscrupulous” websites and online links as a normal precaution.

“We have not received any official guidelines or notifications on this matter, and the bank branches and ATMs are operating as usual. There is no reason to panic — the rumours on social media seem to be the main culprit,” said a spokesperson of Yes Bank.

IDFC Bank holds similar views. They said transactions are taking place as usual, and there’s no reason to panic. However, they maintained that customers must observe the usual precautions to avoid being conned.

“I have been conducting transactions online and via ATMs, and there is no reason to panic. The security systems of our banks are updated and robust enough to face any threat. The main culprits are the misinformed or ‘mischievous’ people who float rumours on social media,” said a senior manager of an SBI branch in Noida.