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First Hawaiian Bank customers in Saipan were the targets of an ATM skimming incident last month that resulted in thousands of dollars being stolen.
The bank said Monday that customers are not liable for fraudulent transactions in their accounts and will get their money back.
First Hawaiian declined to disclose how many customers were affected or how much was stolen, but a story in the Saipan Tribune said amounts ranging from $100 to $30,000 were withdrawn from accounts.
Hawaii’s largest bank said it suspects that criminals used skimmer devices to capture data and then created cards that were sold and used for unauthorized transactions outside Saipan. First Hawaiian said no ATMs in Hawaii or Guam were compromised, but any customers who were in Saipan on March 12-28 and used the ATMs involved could be affected.
Two Oleai branch ATMs, at Oleai Center Beach Road in Saipan, have been identified as involved in the ATM skimming incident.
“We want to assure our Saipan customers that First Hawaiian Bank’s system network was not compromised,” First Hawaiian Chief Banking Officer Ray Ono said. “We take our customer privacy very seriously and will be reissuing cards for affected customers. Customers can also protect themselves by contacting us to change their PIN immediately. First Hawaiian Bank customers are not liable for fraudulent transactions on their accounts. We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers.”
First Hawaiian customers on Saipan and Guam may call toll-free 800-545-6300, or 844-4321 in Hawaii. Customers are being advised to monitor their account statements and to notify their respective financial institution about any unauthorized transactions. The bank said it’s also a good idea for customers to let it know when a trip is being planned outside of their home area.
First Hawaiian, which has $19.3 billion in total assets, operates 57 branches in Hawaii, three on Guam and two on Saipan.