24 January 2006
Dubai: "The bank owes me a genuine Dh500 note," said Mohammad Kamran who was dispensed a fake currency note from a Automated Teller Machine(ATM).
"Imagine ATM dispensing fake currency notes. It is frightening," he said.
On January 18 at around 8pm, Kamran had withdrawn Dh2,200 from an ATM located in Sharjah's Yarmook area. As he was counting the amount, he said that he felt a difference in the texture of the Dh500 note. His experience as a chief technician in a photo imaging company came in handy and he could at once spot the difference.
"I used the same bank ATM in which I hold an account. The moment I realised the nature of the currency I telephoned the bank's toll-free number," said Kamran.
"I narrated the whole incident to a customer service lady who was on the line. I asked her categorically whether I should report the matter with the police or with the bank. She informed me that I should go to any of their branches and report the matter. I was also told that I can get my fake currency exchanged," he added.
The next day he reported the incident to a supervisor in the bank's branch office in Jebel Ali. After a brief question and answer session between him and the bank officials Kamran was asked to fill in a dispute claim form and hand over the fake currency.
"The bank officials were asking questions to verify the credibility of my complaint. It was okay with it and answered all their queries to their satisfaction. They then forwarded a verbal apology to me for the inconvenience but for me that was not the solution I was looking for. I was short Dh500," he said.
Kamran said that the bank did not provide him with a clear answer as to whether they would replace the fake currency with a genuine note. "I was told that the fake currency matter is being dealt with by their head office and that it would take awhile before they would be able to give me a reply," he said.
"The reason why I am quite adamant on getting to the core of the entire episode is to make others aware that they should check the money that is dispensed by ATMs. They should take immediate action by reporting the matter to the authorities before it is too late," added Kamran.
The bank supervisor when contacted told Gulf News that an investigation is underway.
"The matter is now with our head office. I have forwarded the entire thing to the investigation team," said the supervisor.
Money exchange owners and bank officials said that cases of counterfeit currency are dealt seriously by the authorities concerned.
"The individual who got the fake currency should have gone to the police and not to the bank. The bank should also inform the matter to the police," said a bank official.
A money exchange owner said: "The machine available in the market to detect counterfeit currency is not 100 per cent foolproof. Ultimately we do come across instances of fake currency. It also depends on how experienced the teller is."
Check the texture
Police had earlier told Gulf News that fakes can easily be detected by touch. Ninety per cent of the time the counterfeit money has a smooth finish, compared to original money.
The genuine notes will feature watermarks, a security thread embedded in the fibres and fluorescent ink that shows up under ultraviolet light. Real notes have raised printing and some have holograms as well.
Gulf News 2006. All rights reserved.
