Scamsters offer $7.5 lakh and iPad2 in a lottery on the Tata Motors name

Scamsters are on the prowl once again. This time they have used the name of Tata Motors to offer a lottery of $7.5 lakh and an Apple iPad2, similar to the BMW lottery scam last year.  After using the Reserve Bank of India's
name for awarding booty, this time the scamsters are using the Tata Motors name
to offer money and Apple's new iPad2 in a lottery. However, this time the
scamsters have used an old method while sending e-mails, like using the same
content with minor corrections (adjustments!) in the mailer. This latest e-mail
in the name of Tata Motors is a clear case of a 419 scam. But more on 419 scams later.  The scamsters have used two names in the e-mail, 'MR. Alfonso. M. Alejandro' and 'Prince Dr. Maria Jose Mayors'. Both these names have been used in an earlier instance also in lottery e-mails. The scamsters have also used the name of BMW earlier and have now chosen to use the Tata Motors' name to offer the lottery.  Here's what the e-mail says. "From TATA Automobile Company UK is here by congratulate you as one of our FIVE (5) Star Prize Winner, in our 2011 International Awareness Promotion Online Draw (IAPOD) host in INDIA. This makes you the owner of this Email an owner of a New Apple iPad 2 WI -Fi + 3G classic Model and cash prize of ($750,000.00 US Dollars)." For the BMW lottery mails the scamsters used the line, "The BMW Automobile Company, congratulate you as one of our Ten (10) Star Prize Winner in our 2010 International Awareness Promotion (IAP) held in Madrid. This makes owner of a brand new BMW 5 Series car and a cash prize of €850,000.00 EUROS." The mail asks the recipient to send personal details like name, age, address, sex, annual income etc, or contact on some numbers from the UK. The funny part is the scamsters have used Tata Nano images as well as a number of images from different manufacturers and their logos, like Nokia, Apple, Intel, Mozilla Firefox, Acer, Compaq, CSE and so on. The mail also has a copyright assigned to Tata Motors and a standard disclaimer! This mail is sent by Tata multipurpose group India from tatagroupautoindia@geeks.ms with a
subject line that reads 'TATA 2011 GLOBAL FINANCIAL AWARD PROMO'. The question to ask is why would the Tata group send an e-mail using an unknown e-mail service provider like geeks.ms? In addition, there is no entity called 'Tata
group auto India' and the group uses simple names like Tata Motors Ltd or Tata
group. There are more discrepancies that regular Moneylife readers would be
able to identify easily as there are plenty of 'red' signals in the e-mail.
Even if one assumes that all else is true, why on earth would the Tata group
offer money to an individual, and that too in US dollars? Tata Motors officials
were not immediately available for comment. Clearly, this is yet another fraud
in progress. So, if you receive such a message delete it immediately. Here are
some points to keep in mind to help identify such fake messages. The scams are
widespread, so governments and websites like www.truthorfiction.com,
www.fraudwatchers.org, or www.scambaits.com give special attention to this
matter, to help potential victims and to catch scamsters. The website of the
Nigerian Central Bank has a warning on the home page that says, "If it
looks too good to be true, it usually is." The US Secret Service and the
British National Criminal Intelligence Service undertake regular investigations
and issue regular warnings to people. The so-called '419' scam is a type of
fraud commonly committed by criminals from Nigeria and other African countries.
Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery
prize, inheritance, or money sitting in some bank account. Victims never
receive the non-existent fortune, but they are tricked into sending their money
to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and
location by using fake names and fake postal addresses, as well as communicating via anonymous free e-mail accounts and mobile phones.  Here is advice from 419.org: "Keep in mind that scammers do not use their real names when defrauding people. The criminals either abuse names of real people, or companies, or invent names or addresses. Any real people or companies mentioned below have no connection to the scammers!

Canara Bank reverses decision to charge for updating passbooks

The Bank had decided to charge Rs10 for updating passbooks of account holders from other branches, but relented after a customer insisted that such basic services should not be charged. When a customer of a nationalised bank protested against new charges to be levied, the officials reversed the decision. Banks, however, insist that it is becoming increasingly difficult to continue providing basic services free of charges and customers will have to start paying up.

Axis Bank launches everywhere teller machine service in Vijaywada

Axis Bank has tied-up with 120 merchants to offer everywhere teller machine facility. Axis Bank has launched its everywhere teller machine (ETM) service in India at Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh. Debit card holders in Vijaywada, using this service, can now withdraw up to Rs1,000 in cash per day from a point-of-sale (PoS) terminal at select merchant outlets.  Axis Bank has over 180,000 PoS terminals deployed across India. In the first phase of roll-out, Axis Bank has tied-up with 120 merchants to offer this facility and plans to tie-up with 500 merchants across Andhra Pradesh by the end of March 2011. The bank plans to roll out this service in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Gujarat in this fiscal and expects to cover all states by the end of next fiscal year.  As of now the facility of cash withdrawal using plastic cards is available only at automatic teller machine (ATMs) and certain EDC terminals installed at financial institutions exclusively for cash withdrawal. ETM's will ease the process of withdrawing cash for the customers when an ATM facility is not available nearby.  The ETM service will initially be available at Axis Bank EDC machines installed at select merchant outlets. All customers holding a debit card issued in India, as per Reserve Bank of India guidelines can avail this service for which they would be charged up to Rs10 per transaction.

Bank unions suggest ‘Banking Ombudsman’ be changed to ‘Banking Lokpal’

Bank employee unions insist name of grievances cell should be easily understood by common citizens; also push for a special counter for senior citizens. A committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to look into the issues of customer services has agreed to change the name of the Banking Ombudsman to something simpler like the 'Banking Lokpal', which is less of a tongue-twister.  This suggestion was made by the Indian National Bank Employees' Federation (INBEF) to the committee headed by M Damodaran as many customers from rural areas were not familiar with the term ombudsman and would therefore not be forthcoming with their complaints on banking services to the department.   Subhash Sawant, general secretary, INBEF, said, "Many bank customers mainly from rural customers do not understand what ombudsman is all about. When we ask them to file a complaint with the ombudsman, they simply ask us, 'What is ombudsman?'  The Federation has also suggested that the number of offices of the banking ombudsman be increased. Currently there is only one office that is based in Mumbai and it covers mainly Maharashtra and Goa. It has also asked that a special counter should cater to senior citizens at the branches of all banks, during the first 10 days of every month, as the number of pensioners has increased sharply.  In its reply to IBNEF with respect to its suggestions, the committee said, "The title of the RBI Banking Ombudsman may be changed to a simpler, easily understandable one. The area of operations of the Ombudsman may also be enlarged." In a letter to the Federation the committee also said, "The number of pensioners is increasing. Special counters for pensioners may be considered especially during the first week of every month."   "The committee has agreed in principle to our recommendations. We welcome the response on the matter of senior citizens. About the matter of changing the name of the banking ombudsman, we will know when the report is out," Mr Sawant said.  Other bank unions were also represented along with the IBNEF at the meeting with the Damodaran committee which also discussed issues like clean currency notes, shortage of banking staff and banking-related security.