Banking ombudsman warns against weak PIN numbers

The banking ombudsman is reminding customers to take precautions when choosing PIN numbers and using ATMs. Photo / Richard Robinson

The banking ombudsman has warned people using eftpos and cash machines to take care to hide their personal identification (PIN) numbers, following an increase in complaints to the office.

It seemed many people weren't reading the fine print of their banking contracts - which stated the onus was on the customer to keep their PIN secret at all times, Ombudsman Deborah Battell said.

The person signing up for a card should also choose a number that was hard to crack, she said.

"Selecting a secure PIN number is a responsibility that bank customers need to take seriously - or they risk breaching the terms and conditions of use," she said.

On several recent occasions, thieves had stolen an account holder's card, then guessed the PIN by entering birthdates.

Ms Battell also advised against choosing a PIN made up of easily-guessable sequences of numbers, like 0000 or 1234, or choosing any other sequence of easily-guessable numbers, like addresses or telephone numbers.

"If our independent investigation also finds that a customer has not taken reasonable steps to secure and protect their PIN, we are most unlikely to find any basis for compensation," said Ms Battell.

"This means that the customer will have to wear any loss."

- NZPA