Bank Muscat hit by $39m pre-paid card fraud

Oman's Bank Muscat says crooks have managed to compromise a dozen pre-paid travel cards, racking up RO15 million (US$39 million) in fraudulent transactions.

No customers have suffered any financial loss and no other credit or debit cards issued by the bank have been affected, says a statement published on the Muscat Securities Market site.

"The Bank is working with all stakeholders to further investigate and to establish any losses arising from these transactions," says the statement issued on Monday.

With the loss representing around 10.5% of Bank Muscat's estimated 2013 earnings, the news hit its share price, which fell 4.3% before a partial recovery on Tuesday.

This prompted a second statement, saying: "We are exploring all avenues to minimise the impact on our shareholders and will pursue the various options available to the bank."

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