A group of hackers bagged serious cash by siphoning over Rs. 5.8 million from an ATM at a National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) branch in Pindi Bhattian in Punjab’s Hafizabad district.
As per details, the hackers utilized a device to hack into the ATM tray that contained banknotes of Rs. 5000 denomination and took the whole tray with them.
Speaking on the incident, the bank manager has reportedly stated that security guards rushed to the ATM booth as soon as the alert was sent from the ATM to the bank’s head office when it was hacked.
However, the cybercriminals managed to escape before the guards could reach the ATM.
The manager added that the ATM has now been sealed and a case has been launched against the yet-to-be identified perpetrators for hacking into the ATM and running away with Rs. 5.8 million in cash.
Credible sources have disclosed that the police have referred the case to the Cybercrime Wing (CCW) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further investigation. The CCW teams are conducting raids in the city to arrest the culprits as soon as possible.
This isn’t the first time the National Bank of Pakistan has been subjected to a cyberattack in recent times.
Last month, the bank’s computer system was targeted by hackers in a serious attack that disrupted the disbursement of salaries and pensions to millions of current and former government employees.
The bank’s IT team worked hard over the course of several days to completely restore its banking services in the aftermath of that attack.
President Dr. Arif Alvi urged Collaboration with Technology firms and R&D organizations to build capabilities in cyber security vital to protect national data