The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) issued a warning to its online banking customers yesterday, warning them to guard their personal account information closely after a spate of online thefts were reported across 20 provinces.

 

A banking official told Xinhua News Agency in an exclusive interview: "No hacker has managed to access ICBC's online banking system. Based on the results seen from police investigations, the online thefts arose when customers' personal information was accidentally divulged."

 

Currently hosting 20 million online banking customers, ICBC has taken serious new measures to prevent online thefts, such as updating firewalls, adopting encrypted information transfers and real-time scanning, the official added.

 

"However, some customers simply do not take any precautions to avoid theft," he continued, citing a recent example in which a company's senior manager entrusted a member of his staff with his bank card and pin number. The staff member then used the card and pin number to apply for online banking and stole a huge sum from his manager's bank cards.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2006)