DURING a 10-day visit to London, from July 29 to August 9, my debit and credit cards were stolen. The cards were issued by an international bank — the largest among the few such entities in Pakistan. I discovered the loss two days later and immediately reported it to the bank. By then, fraudulent transactions had cost me close to Rs600,000. The bank has not disputed the fact that the transactions were fraudulent, but has refused any reimbursement.
On returning to Pakistan, I was told I should have reported the theft to the London police. If a police report was really important to my claim, why did the bank representative I contacted immediately after discovering the theft not advise me to file one? Surely a bank with a massive global footprint can investigate disputed transactions, seek evidence from merchants, and, where available, verify point-of-sale records. If that is not the case, what protection does a customer actually receive from bank-issued cards abroad?
I had assumed that the stress and inconvenience suffered in London would be the extent of my loss, and that reimbur- sement would follow if the bank’s investigation established fraud. Instead, despite accepting the transactions as fraudulent, the bank has asked me to settle even the disputed credit-card charges. This leaves me doubly aggrieved and wondering what purpose the investigation served if the financial consequences of an established fraud fall entirely on the customer.
Surely, victims have recourse beyond publicly questioning a reputed bank’s claims of security and closing their accounts. I would surely approach platforms like that of the Banking Ombudsman and the Pakistan Banks Association for clarity on the respective rights and responsibilities of banks and cardholders. Banks sell convenience, security and trust. When fraud strikes, customers deserve more than a rejection: they deserve proper guidance, a credible investigation and a transparent explanation of who actually bears responsibility — and, indeed, why.
A concerned account holder
Karachi
Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2026
