My friend Talal who is a student in Dubai just wrote us saying there is a big issue going on with all the Kuwaiti credit cards (Visa, Master, and even Visa electron) that’s been used in Dubai within the last 6 months. He said they’re suspending all the cards and issuing new ones due to recent theft incidents. Make sure you always do a credit card comparison.
He also said that NBK is going to send him his card via DHL, and that if someone who’s in dubai and in desperate need for cash, they can lift the block on his card just temporarily in order for him to withdraw some money and then block it again right away. Click here to learn more about an alternative which is better than using your credit cards for loans.
Did you guys know about this thing? I didn’t. All I know is that they’re replacing all of their cards with new ones with a chip in them. Sort of an update and not something serious.
Thanks Talal.
Update:
I just spoke with someone from NBK and he confirmed that there have been many pretty big hacks and theft incidents on credit & debit cards used in Dubai in the past 6 months. And it’s happening with all the other banks too, not just the NBK.
Yeah, I just got my new card-with-chip this morning… Pretty neat.
Well it might be rumors but i heard that some cards, used in dubai, have been hacked by hackers in eastern europe, gulf bank had many cases..and thats y they are replacing the cards..
thats right,,, alot of credit cards that has been used in Dubai were hacked thats why banks are cancelling those cards..
the thing that gets on my nervse that some banks doesnt make the effort of informing the customer about his/her card’s cancelation due to the ” Dubai incident ” o yetwahag the customer if he/she were paying or withdrawing money! awch…
a friend of mine who works in KFH informed me that +7000 credit cards has been cancelled and KFH is in the process of reissuing them for the clients.
There was a warning from Kuwait Banking association regarding this issue
check is out
http://aalholi.blogspot.com/2008/10/blog-post_09.html
yeeah many of kuwaiti people in UAE is can not use them nbk cards,,, also my sister in abu dahbi with her husband in big trouble they can not use any of nbk cards !!! allah ye3enhom @@
its the money laundering capital of the world …. what were you expecting …. damn thing was bound to happen …..
Dodo, u nailed it .. 😉 that’s what really irritates me .. :/
nbk canceled my debit card and issued me a new one…due to my visit in the past 6 months 2 dubai. dubai is full of Indian Chinese and Russian mafia
I just received my new card today from NBK , with new ship and without the account number !! only with new card number .
they was fast ana 6albt alnew card sunday and today morning we9alt by DHL ,, Fast service wala 🙂
Here is the whole story:
All local banks met earlier this year (March) to settle down the identity theft and NON chip card problems.
The problems suspected are:
1- A mini scanner was placed on various ATMs in malls and some hotels. (This is what they call a physical theft action)
2- Banks were told that there are a group of people leaking confidential client information abroad. Hence the strange SMS received in mobile phones like ( HEY !! you won a 1,000,000 US dollar OR a house, and the recent one was more believable which is winning a car in the UK)
3- All banks failed to meet VISA & MASTERCARD rules and regulations deadline and were late in switching to chip card, excluding KFH which was the first in the region. Thats also, a security flaw right there.
The Solution:
Re-issue cards for all infected customers from (March – Present).
The number of infected customers differ from a bank to another.
But it is not a major issue. I can reveal that NBK was the most affected bank, but is doing a very good job in fixing the problem.
There is nothing to worry about and all banks are required to settle the amounts back to their customers.
Hope this helps.
What I heard:
There is a company called Al-Khaleejia that saves customers’ database (or something similar) for numerous banks. Well, Al-Khaleejia got hacked, hence all the database got stolen.. therefore, even BEFORE your card gets forged or account gets stolen, the banks (I know NBK does it) cancel your credit cards as a safety precaution even if your card hasn’t been stolen yet AND issue you a new one. Its kind of like beating them to it.
When I realized my card was being rejected, I called them up and they explained the situation and told me a new card has ALREADY been issued for me and ready to be picked up from the fir3. sweet.