In late November of 2011, at 8:30 in the morning, the lobby of the Antigua bank branch known as BAC was crowded. The manager, three ATM technicians and two shot-gun toting guards kept the curious away. The technicians were replacing the innards of the three machines and nervous looks were the order of the day. No, this was not your typical morning but for the bank known as Banco Centro America aka Credomatic, owned by one of Colombia’s wealthiest persons, the week had turned sour.
Two days earlier, the ATM’s began to do something new and different. Eight months ago or to be more precise, over a year ago when BAC was bought by the Bank of Bogota, there began an immediate spate of ‘unauthorized’ ATM thefts. The electronic trail at first led back to Bogota. The Embassies held meetings, the bank officials and local law enforcement people came and Guatemala’s Tourist Board acted as a referee. The fifty or so local ex-pats who were victims then crowded the rooms to overcapacity and tempers rose as the explanations given were just a vague acknowledgement that “they needed more proof.”
At the initial meeting several months ago, attendees were given a ‘suitable for framing’ Certificate of Course Completion in ATM Security. Aside from being a ‘feel good’ seminar in outdated tactics, it at least showed that someone was concerned (but not much, as it’s turned out). Gradually memories and complaints about unauthorized (stealing) withdrawals from this bank’s branch faded. Some used other methods and some used other banks but this week, BAC hit a new low.
Not only were the international tourists that are the life blood of Antigua targeted, but local people also were now victims: Guatemalans using Guatemalan bank cards, which hitherto were not affected by this cybercrime, were likewise milked and mistreated. Its one thing to be a tourist with money and credit cards but it’s another world for a local Guatemalan depending on their bank to safeguard what little money they have.
How are they going to eat, pay bills or just plain survive? Last spring, when those of us who were hit by these bandits without borders and waiting for a month for a replacement ATM card from another country, we lived by borrowing money from friends outside of Guatemala or short-term loans here and there. Some of us survived by selling jewelry or anything else of immediate value: we were fortunate to have alternative sources of money but for a lot of Guatemalans that may not be the case. The gold buying shops and pawn brokers will thrive, the tourists who’ve been robbed electronically won’t come back and this is just another black mark for Antigua.
I was fortunate to have read the pre-publication of an editorial dealing with this by a local magazine, which was published on December 1st. (http://www.revuemag.com). This is a larger problem than it was last spring: has the bank done anything except window dressing and hiring more useless guards for the lobby? No, No and No: this is an internal problem that’s not been addressed, solved or cured.
There are no laws against this or any apparent will to cure this. It’s a crime without penalties and with a new set of victims. The bank, BAC, supposedly has offered to return any stolen funds after 35 business days pass. Waiting two months for what may be ‘bread and butter’ or rent money might not be possible for some and certainly difficult for others. The complacency of this bank and their officials borders on the criminal: if nothing else, they’re negligent. If there ever were a case for a class action lawsuit, this one fits the definition. There are only one or two minor problems, which involve the criminal justice systems of two countries that aren’t exactly models of judicial prowess or efficiency. Got money? Don’t be so sure, if you’ve used the ATM’s at the BAC branch in Antigua this month.
Pictures. Michael Sherer
Trackback(0)
TrackBack URI for this entryComments (1)
Subscribe to this comment's feedSafe ATM's in Antigua Guatemala
-
- +0
-
-
