Willem Roux, who joined Bank Zero in August 2021, has a great story that shows how Bank Zero\u2019s unique patent technology for its cards protects the bank\u2019s customers.<\/p>\n
As a regular traveler, Willem loves using his Bank Zero card when travelling overseas – partly due to the maximum 1% mark-up on the FX rate and partly for the security.<\/p>\n
This security benefit was highlighted on a recent trip to London \u2013 where he was the victim of attempted card skimming.<\/p>\n
If not for Bank Zero\u2019s invisible patent technology, this could have been a much bigger problem than it actually was.<\/p>\n
The situation began when Willem used his Bank Zero card to draw some cash at a very busy ATM in Covent Garden.<\/p>\n
After receiving his cash, he went about his normal day \u2013 but a few hours later, Willem received a Bank Zero notification that informed him that there had been an attempted (but unsuccessful) cash withdrawal using his card details.<\/p>\n
This failed withdrawal attempt took place in New York, USA \u2013 over 5,000km from his current location \u2013 despite his card still being in his wallet.<\/p>\n
A few minutes later, he received another notification of a failed attempt at a different New York ATM.<\/p>\n
This alarmed Willem, so he instinctively locked his card from within the Bank Zero App and emailed Bank Zero to query the failed attempts.<\/p>\n
It was quickly established that during his Covent Garden ATM withdrawal, his card was skimmed by a hidden device, and his PIN was compromised, too.<\/p>\n
Within a few hours, his card details and PIN had been linked to a newly cloned card and used in an attempt to withdraw cash.<\/p>\n
Thankfully, these attempts were easily blocked due to Bank Zero\u2019s unique and first-in-the-world card patent.<\/p>\n
This ensured that Willem\u2019s money was safe \u2013 even though the scamster had his card details and PIN. What\u2019s more: he didn\u2019t even have to lock his card!<\/p>\n
Willem is lucky that he banks with Bank Zero, as if he had been with another bank, the cloned card\u2019s transactions would\u2019ve been successful.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more \u2013 because his PIN had been compromised, he would not have been able to claim back his money without some serious legal processes (if at all).<\/p>\n
With Bank Zero, though, not only was Willem\u2019s money safe \u2013 but he also didn\u2019t have to go through the schlep of paperwork to report the fraud, plus replacing his card while away from South Africa.<\/p>\n
Instead, he could calmly continue with his day \u2013 and he found this experience so unique and impressive that he Tweeted about it:<\/p>\n
\n@BankZeroSA<\/a> I’m currently in London for work. I used my BankZero card at a ATM on Saturday apart from tapping it. It got cloned…. But the scammers couldn’t withdraw from the magnetic strip, as the card technology is way too advanced for old magnetic readers. Thank you.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Vivian Roux (@willemvroux) November 21, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n