YEREVAN, March 19. /ARKA/. A protest against fraud in the Armenian banking system took place on Wednesday in front of the government building in central Yerevan. The participants accuse some local banks of aiding cybercriminals.
“We have become victims of fraud by cybercriminals. Banks claim their innocence, but why should citizens suffer because of the mistakes and vulnerabilities of these institutions? We are talking about three or four banks. The investigative authorities, in turn, are not fulfilling their duties properly; investigations are being carried out extremely slowly and, in fact, ineffectively,” the protesters said.
They explained the nature of the problem: it turns out that some criminals “without the knowledge of citizens, took out online loans in their name for large amounts.” “The banks claim they are unaware of this, saying we have become victims of cybercriminals. We have suffered financial losses ranging from 700,000 to 1 million drams or more. The investigative authorities are unwilling to protect the rights of the affected citizens,” said the protest participants.
They are demanding that the government take clear and systematic actions, ensure justice in the banking sector, and provide state guarantees for the financial security of citizens.
The protesters collected signatures and submitted a letter to the Prime Minister of Armenia, requesting a meeting to discuss and resolve the issue.
