Interswitch Partners Banks on e-Payment Education

Electronic payment switching company, Interswitch is partnering with some commercial banks on its network to create awareness on how to curb the growing trend of fraud on e-payment system in the country.

The strategic alliance is meant to inundate the public with steps to be taken to protect the identities of their Personal Identification Number (Pin) which invariably represent their signatures and the need to keep them sacrosanct.

The campaign which will kick off in a few days time as revealed at the media parley in Lagos, will make use of radio jingles as well as print and billboard adverts to enlighten the public using a common language that will be effectively assimilated by all on various ways people can use the debit card apart from just using it to withdrawals at the ATM.

Verdant zeal will pilot the print and billboard adverts while the radio will be manage by bates case company .The message of the print advert will focus on education and enlightenment to the effect that PIN is as good as someone’s signature and that no one should reveal his PIN in his brain where it cannot be tampered with.

The print advert will also educate cardholders what to expect from scam messages and how to react to them bearing in mind that Interswitch and its member banks will never ask cardholders about their PIN which is confidential to them. The campaign will also come up with bumper stickers which will be widely circulated free of charge to motorists and other road users alike. The message in them will also reveal the nuances of card fraudsters.

Another aspect of the print advert is to educate the public about other channels debit card can be used and not limited to only ATM withdrawals. People will also be educated through the message on how to shop with the debit card.

The life angle to the print advert will further educate the card holders on how to buy a recharge card or visit the cinema for instance with the debit card even as it will also highlight the do’s and don’ts with the ATM card.

The Radio campaign will basically bring to life, most of the experiences people have talked about regarding card fraud.

Mitchell Eleigbe, managing director, Interswitch said that as fraudulent people have devised various ways of defrauding the people through the spread of fraudulent messages to people, banks came together on what should be done to stem the trend.

"This is in the area of corporate social Responsibility. Various websites have been created and more are still being created to deceive people. People have responded that they have been defrauded. What we are doing is to prevent a lot more people from being defrauded. What we want to do in Nigeria is to make sure that we are one step ahead of the fraudsters, Elegbe said.

He reiterated that the joint campaign is meant to achieve three major objectives which are to educate the cardholders on the importance of protecting their PINs, to create media awareness on card usage without generating unnecessary panic in the minds of cardholders and finally to enlighten cardholders of channels on which their cards can be used than just cash withdrawal at ATM.