Consumer Court Orders Private Bank to Pay Compensation for Credit Card Fraud

The Consumer Court has directed a private bank to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation, along with Rs 35,984 and interest, to the victim/complainant who suffered losses in a credit card fraud.

The bank was held liable for not canceling the credit card despite receiving a written application from the victim. Akash Dubey visited the bank on February 22, 2019, requesting cancellation of his credit card as he no longer used it. However, the bank assured him that the card would be automatically canceled if it remained unused for a year. Trusting this information, Dubey did not check the status of the credit card and even stopped using the registered mobile number associated with it.

On December 6, 2019, Dubey received an email notifying him of a debit of Rs 35,984 from his account on November 27, 2017. He immediately approached the bank and filed an application, expecting an investigation and a response within 45 days. However, the bank failed to provide a timely resolution. Dubey submitted another application on January 29, 2020, urging the bank to investigate the matter further.

During the investigation, the consumer court determined that the complainant did not have access to the registered mobile number, and it was the bank’s responsibility to share transaction details within three days. The court noted that the bank rejected the customer’s request to cancel the card without conducting a proper investigation.

As a result, the court found the bank guilty and ordered them to pay Rs 35,984 along with 8% yearly interest, and an additional Rs 50,000 as compensation. The bank has been given one month to fulfill the court’s judgment.