News
EMV: ATMs Reject Magnetic Stripe Cards
Some banks installed Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) have started rejecting magnetic stripe cards, in what looks like a move to protect customers from card related fraud, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can now reveal.
The latest move would force magnetic stripe card holders to migrate to chip and pin card, seen as more secured.
Already, there is ongoing but slow migration from magnetic stripe technology to Europay MasterCard and Visa (EMV) standard chip and pin technology occasioned by Central Bank of Nigeria’s directive.
The regulatory body fixed December last year as terminal date for completion of the migration. Since then, banks no longer issue the old technology cards but still process such cards till they expires.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigation however revealed that the growing case of ATM associated fraud in the country especially in Lagos may not be unconnected with decision by some banks to programme their ATMs reject magnetic stripe cards even when such cards have not expired.
A bank installed ATM can reject a particular technology design from being processed by either programming its front end processor to capture such card and advice the holder to contact its customer care or programming it to ‘ready only chip cards’.
This means that such card will not be captured and will not be processed for either withdrawal or any other transaction with the machine, which is the system being implemented by some banks ATMs visited by Nigeria CommunicationsWeek.
At one of the big banks visited, customers who came to make withdrawal with their old card were disappointed as the machine responded ‘Invalid card’ when the card is inserted into the machine.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that this approach by banks fall short of global best practices as an EMV enabled ATM is not expected to reject card issued by EMV certified issuer but rather should shift the fraud liability to the card issuing bank.
Prince Adeniyi Oyemade, Lagos state commissioner for Commerce and Industry recently accused banks and regulatory agencies of uncooperative attitude in relation to fraud assisted with the automated teller machine, in the state in particular.
The commissioner lamented that the banks had refused to accept liability for the frauds on the basis that customers must have compromised their personal identification numbers.
News
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira

National Reading Culture (NRC), an online investment platform targeting Nigerians has collapsed, resulting in the loss of billions of Naira for investors.

The website unexpectedly shut down, blocking users from withdrawing their funds and locking in their investments.
Just like all other investment scams, victims were lured with promises of doubling their money in few weeks.
When National Reading Culture eventually crashed, the operators vanished with users’ funds, leaving investors devastated.
How the Platform WorkedTask-Based Earning:
According findings, National Reading Culture lured users with promises of making money by completing simple daily tasks like reading articles, clicking links, or inviting friends.
They also offered investment tiers to earn higher daily profits, where users had to deposit their own money into the platform.
Evidence showed the website previously operated as a Chinese job search platform before rebranding into an “earning” scheme.
News
NSITF Partners South African Insurer on Digital Transformation

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA) to collaborate on digital transformation aimed at strengthening worker protection systems and support economic growth.

According to RMA, the agreement was concluded during a visit by its delegation to Abuja.
The partnership will focus on institutional capability development, modernising operating models, improving service delivery and sharing knowledge between the two organisations.
Through the partnership, RMA and NSITF will collaborate to strengthen institutional capability, modernise operating models, accelerate digital transformation and improve services for workers and employers.
The organisations will also explore opportunities for knowledge exchange and the adoption of best practices in social security administration.
RMA said the agreement forms part of its broader engagement with governments, regulators and social security institutions across Africa to support improvements in governance, operational resilience and service delivery.
“Our partnership with NSITF reflects much more than the signing of an agreement,” said Mandla Shezi, group chief executive officer of RMA. “This partnership is not simply about sharing knowledge. It is about co-creating the next generation of African social security systems.”
He added: “By combining our respective strengths, we can help build institutions that are more resilient, more responsive and better equipped to protect workers while supporting national development.”
Shezi said the future of social security depends on integrated systems where prevention, insurance, healthcare, rehabilitation, technology, investment management and institutional capability work together.
News
Microsoft to Lay Off 4,800 Workers

Microsoft has announced plans to cut about 4,800 jobs, representing roughly 2.1 percent of its global workforce, with Xbox, its gaming division, expected to bear the largest share of the layoffs.

The company said more than 1,600 positions at Xbox would be eliminated immediately, while another 1,600 jobs would be phased out over the next year as part of a major restructuring of the gaming business.
In a memo to employees, Amy Coleman, executive vice president, Microsoft, said the company was streamlining its operations to focus on areas that deliver greater value to customers in a rapidly changing technology industry.
Asha Sharma, chief executive officer, Xbox, described the move as “the most significant restructure in Xbox history,” saying the changes are intended to position the gaming business for long-term growth rather than downsizing.
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