NCB admits: Citizens’ cards were cloned and accounts emptied. Cameras had been installed

A number of customers of the National Commercial Bank (BKT) faced an unpleasant surprise when their cards were mysteriously emptied.

Kapitali identified several cases in which the cards had been used in different countries.

In one instance, a citizen’s card had been used in Bulgaria for purchases amounting to several thousand euros. In another case, money was withdrawn in Italy, and similar incidents followed. After gathering this information, Kapitali contacted NCB officially to find out what had happened.

The bank admitted that the cards were cloned at an ATM in Tirana, where the thieves had installed a camera. NCB stated that the incident lasted only one hour and that the security breach was detected by its staff. According to the bank, the number of cloned cards is small. NCB also confirmed that customers affected by the theft will be fully reimbursed.

Kapitali was unable to independently verify the full extent of the phenomenon. However, the fact that several cases were identified in a short period suggests that the problem could be larger than the bank officially admits.

Regardless of the scale, the security breach at the country’s largest bank is a cause for concern and underscores the urgent need for significant investments in cybersecurity by the banking sector, especially in the digital age.

“KORÇA BOOM”