Bank of Ireland

History

2023: IT system failure that caused customers to withdraw thousands of euros from ATMs with zero balance on cards

On August 15, 2023, a serious failure occurred in the Bank of Ireland information system, due to which customers with a zero balance could withdraw thousands of euros from ATMs.

According to The Telegraph, one of the largest banks in Ireland reported problems in the operation of the mobile application and the main site. Some customers have had difficulty withdrawing cash from ATMs. Other users complained about not having access to their accounts for hours and not being able to transfer money for "important payments."

Bank of Ireland customers with zero balance could withdraw thousands of euros from ATMs

We know that customers using our mobile app and 365Online platform are currently struggling. We are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused, the Bank of Ireland said in a statement.

Later, customers found out that the failure gives them the opportunity to transfer €1000 to an account in Revolut, and then withdraw cash from an ATM. Moreover, this can be done even if there is no money on the bank card. After that, huge queues began to form near ATMs in Dublin, Limerick and Dundalk. The Irish Police Service said it was aware of "unusual levels of activity" near some ATMs across the country.

A spokesman for banking technology firm Revolut said specialists were looking into reports that excess amounts of money had been transferred to customer accounts from the Bank of Ireland. The police, in turn, reminded people "of their personal responsibility when performing personal banking operations." The Bank of Ireland said any amounts withdrawn or transferred by customers beyond their usual limits would subsequently be debited.^[1]

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