Giving your PIN to your friend

A client and his friend went to a night-club one evening after having several drinks at home. The client was intoxicated by the time they arrived at the club, but he ordered and paid for a round of drinks. He then left his wallet containing his bank debit card on the table while going to the washroom. When the client returned to the table he did not notice that his wallet was gone. Shortly afterwards, the client and his friend left.

The next morning, the client realized that his wallet was missing and reported it to the police and to his bank. The bank immediately cancelled the debit card, but $800 had already been withdrawn from the client's bank account.

The client later identified his friend as the thief from photographs taken by a security camera at an automated banking machine.

When the friend was interviewed, he told us that during the evening the client had boasted that he had plenty of money in his account and had told the friend his PIN. The client denied informing his friend of his PIN, but admitted that he had been intoxicated and did not recall many of the events of that evening at the night club.

It was a clear case of failing to protect the PIN by the client, and we did not recommend that the bank reimburse the client.

(2004)