Surveillance cameras, good for financial institutions

Those in love with technology would agree that it has brought more good than bad. Long time ago working at a financial institution especially on cash box was a nightmare.

A number of cashiers were forced to either quit their jobs as still some others faced jail sentences for their failure to balance their arithmetic or overpaying, but thanks to the new technology that era is now gone with the wind.

A recent survey conducted by this reporter found out that most financial institutions have installed surveillance cameras to nab unfaithful customers and possibly bandits in action.

For instance a certain gentleman recently went to an Automated Teller Machines (ATM) to withdraw some cash.

The gentleman went through all the steps and requested for thirty thousand (30,000/-).

Surprisingly, the machine gave him 300,000/- more than he had hoped for.

The customer was so thrilled that he packed his money as fast as he could leave the machine while thanking the almighty for the good luck.

He spent his money for sometimes until he went to the bank a month later only to find his account debited with 270,000/- the difference he made away with a month earlier.

The customer who seemed furious went to complain to the bank manager and was later shocked when the manager showed him the tape of his withdraw and his jovial departure with three hundred thousand shillings.

There have even been cases when some cashiers overpaid customers out of bad luck and thanks to the cameras they managed to recover all the funds.

Commenting on the advantages of surveillance cameras CRDB Public Relations Manager David Mbulumi said `Surveillance cameras are handy because they help monitor the movements of all people getting in and out the banks.

Better yet they monitor what a person does within the banks making it easy to raise suspicious in case a person plans to commit crimes.`

Mbulumi said a number of bandits who had invaded the banks were easily nabbed after reviewing the tapes showing the movements and activities conducted by the suspects.

`Cameras are very handy otherwise it would have been tough to monitor whatever goes around especially taking in consideration the prevailing security situation,` said Mbulumi.

Asked to comment on possibility of ATM`s giving a customer more cash than requested Mbulumi said he could not comment on that as it was more of a technical thing something someone else had the know how.

The new technology challenges not only customers to excise trustworthiness but it certainly makes it possible for financial institutions to drag to court unfaithful customers who would attempt to deny when they are overpaid.

The next time you receive more cash than requested at an ATM think twice and don`t you ever walk with joy for you would definitely repay the amount sooner if not later.

Times may be hard but certainly not too hard for us to be dishonest.