Over EUR1.5M Missing From Bank Accounts Of Twenty Credit Europe Bank Clients

Three clients went Thursday to the local consumer protection authority in Brasov and said sums ranging from EUR150,000 to EUR296,000 had been withdrawn from their accounts without their knowledge.

The deputy head of the local consumer protection authority, Ionel Spataru, said more and more people go to the bank, find their bank accounts have been emptied out and then go to the protection authority to file complaints over missing money. Spataru added that damages exceed EUR1 million and stressed the authority fined the bank RON50.000 and ordered it to reimburse clients within 15 days. According to Spataru, some of the money withdrawn illegally from clients’ bank accounts was deposited in bank accounts abroad.

Omer Tetik, vice-president of Romania’s Credit Europe Bank, the local subsidiary of Credit Europe Bank N.V., on Thursday said the bank started paying the clients who had money drawn from their accounts without their permission. Tetik added that all 20 clients affected by this situation will be reimbursed.

The local police inspectorate in Brasov on Wednesday said police officers have identified five suspects, among whom, a top management employee, three front desk operators and a cashier, all probed for computer forgery and cyber fraud.

The bank said it set off an inquiry on July 30 into the complaints filed by several clients, who claimed the money in their bank accounts had been withdrawn illegally and the bank notified prosecutors on August 5.