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| A.M. Costa Rica Second newspage |
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Our reader's opinion
Internet thieves quickly took$22,000 from Banco Nacional Dear A.M. Costa Rica: Is your money safe in Banco Nacional? In a simple answer I would say not or quite doubtful, to say the least, as I will explain. During the morning of Oct.25 we had an account at Banco Nacional raided by Internet thieves of $22,000. My Tico business partner had transferred these funds into the account around 10 a.m. to pay for the importation taxes on a number of cars that are waiting in customs for us as part of a routine business transaction for our company. In the next two hours five transfers moved the entirety of our deposit into five accounts of complete strangers. The funds were then taken in cash from the bank by the five members of this ring of thieves. We managed to alert the bank prior to the final one getting the cash out of the bank and that individual is in custody, thanks to the Judicial Investigating Organization. So how helpful has Banco Nacional been in this situation? How about useless and/or insulting since the best thing they can come up with is to blame us for giving up our account information due to a phishing expedition conducted by these thieves. To clarify this, be aware that we are sophisticated computer users and have done online banking virtually since the first day that Banco Nacional offered such, hence we most certainly do not fall for such phony pranks. I would also submit that anyone that has been using such banking services for any number of years is well aware of what phishing is about and has no trouble in recognizing such. In fact, we did no such thing and, in fact, over the past months we did not even have an attempt to collect our information. So now, as a way for the bank to help the innocent client out here, they suggest we wait 90 days while they investigate, and to add insult to injury have even frozen the final $4,000 that did not actually manage to get out of the bank. The question that remains to haunt me, as well it should the reader, is just how much more money would have been stolen had we had more in this account to support the phony transfers? If it would have been $222,000, would the bank have the same compassionate and responsible answers. To say the least this kind of care about the customer service has me furious as this really screws up our business as our inventory is now unavailable to sell due to this, plus we are paying customs charges every day we wait to sort out this mess — a mess that I believe is entirely created by inadequate security at the bank from an activity that reeks of an inside job. To put it mildly I find Banco Nacional’s attitude more than a little hypocritical after they spend a serious amount of money enhancing their image through programs like Dance for a Dream, then when a long-term customer gets shafted by Internet thieves and inadequate security, their best answer is to call the customer stupid. This past two months has seriously affected my attitude towards Costa Rican banks and their attitude to customer service or should I say the complete lack of such or an acceptable level of responsibility. At any rate my account at Banco Nacional is toast, and it will be a frosty Friday in Hell before I go back. Meanwhile I am pursuing criminal action, and any other readers who have similar experiences may want to consider joining me in a group action. No doubt it will be slow, but it is high time they got the message. I can be contacted at suenosdeamigos@racsa.co.cr. My simple recommendation to readers is to severe any larger holding accounts from Internet access hence cyber theft. Trevor Chilton
San Antonio de Escazú This newspaper not helping to make country better Dear A.M. Costa Rica:
I just want to comment on one thing. It seems more and more that A.M. Costa Rica is reporting on the BAD things about Costa Rica — from Tamarindo polluted beaches to increased crime to corrupt police to now a bad banking system. Why is it that the news media gets a bang out of reporting the bad? Is Costa Rica really that bad? I visit Costa Rica quit often and truly enjoy the country and what it offers. But if I was considering Costa Rica for the first time and read your paper daily, I would not be excited about venturing there. There is not a country in the world that is perfect, including the United States or Canada. Why don’t you try to become more pro-active in promoting the good of Costa Rica instead of always reporting what is considered the bad. I truly believe Costa Rica is making great efforts to move their country forward, but A.M. Costa Rica is not helping. Martin Kelly
Officials are failing to actA concerned property owner of Costa Rica despite danger to citizens Dear A.M. Costa Rica: This report regarding the contamination at Tamarindo (and other beaches) is a stark warning to the lax efforts of government officials to protect citizens. Now that the precious beaches are in jeapordy, those same officials stick their heads in the sand and scoff at science. Our precious land is at risk. Our sacred citizenry is at risk. And all the protectors of society can say is that there is no definitive proof. Lose one's reputation, and it may never be recovered. Do nothing and wait. Then the govenment will have the proof it needs as the tourists flock elsewhere and poverty increases. Stupid is as stupid does. Peter Monck
Miami, Florida
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| A.M. Costa Rica third newspage |
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| Proposal
for oil drilling brings two quick, negative reponses |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The second-largest political party in the legislature and a group of long-time foes to oil drilling have come out against a plan by China to seek petroleum here. The party, the Partido Acción Ciudadana, said Wednesday that it opposed oil drilling and petroleum exploitation here, and that view was part of the 2006 political platform. The party called for the development of alternative energies instead. Oilwatch Internacional said the idea that the government would permit petroleum exploration in the country, this time with Chinese capital, raises a new controversy regarding the environmental policies of the country. |
Oilwatch was in the front lines for
the successful battle that resulted
in Harken Petroleum abandoning plans to do exploratory drilling
offshore from Puerto Viejo de Limón. Chinese officials suggested to President Óscar Arias Sánchez during his recent visit there that they would like to build a refinery in Costa Rica and also explore for oil. China is desperate for more energy because of its fast growth. China has a poor history of environmental concerns, said Oilwatch, and noted that the government there was supportive of various oppressive regimes in the third world. Costa Rica opened diplomatic ties with the People's Republic June 1 when it broke relations with Taiwan. Since then, Costa Rican officials have been anxious to cash in on their new relationship. |
| Northern
zone and parts of Limón ravaged by heavy rains |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Rain spawned by a cold front exacted a toll on the northern zone and the Provincia de Limón Tuesday night and Wednesday. All the cantons of Limón were on alert early Thursday as were Upala, San Carlos, Los Chiles and Guatuso in the Provincia de Alajuela and Sarapiquí in the Provincia de Heredia. The heavy rains were not expected, and the alerts were prompted by a report from the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional that heavy rains would continue Wednesday and that rain would continue for several days more. The northern zone and Limón were generally spared heavy flooding in the last two months while the Pacific coast and the Pacific side of the Nicoya Peninsula suffered. Wednesday some 60 persons had been placed in shelters, still far less than the more than 1,000 who were looked |
after on the Pacific last month. But
the northern zone is heavily
agricultural, and the losses due to erosion and flooding could be
enormous. The Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias said that some 12 rivers flooded out of their banks and in some cases cut off entire communities. Shelters were opened in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí with 30 persons, in the Iglesia La Perla in la Fortuna de San Carlos with 15 persons from the community of Las Vueltas de La Tortuga and in Cariari de Pococí with 15 persons from a nearby area, said the emergency commission. The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad said that the heavy rains generated river crests that could not be handled by the power generating dams of Cariblanco on the Río Sarapiquí and Peñas Blancas on the Río Peñas Blancas. Some of the surges of water could not be contained by the dams and flowed over them into the river below and added to the flooding downstream, said the institute. |
| Corporations
would face sanctions but not criminal action, committee decides |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Corporations and other commercial entities known here as personas jurídicas will not be prosecuted for crimes under a revised draft of a change in the penal code that has been informally approved in committee. The bill originally would have subjected corporations and other entities to criminal prosecution along with their officers and agents in the case of criminal activity. But Luis Paulino Mora, the president of the Corte Suprema de Justicia, said in testimony that the Costa Rican Constitution |
only contemplates criminal
punishment for humans. The reform of the penal code is part of the measures in support of the free trade treaty, and it is being studied by a special committee. The committee decided that corporate entities that are party to a crime would face instead administrative penalties, including suspension of business activities for five years. The proposed draft also tightens sanctions against those public officials who may seek bribes. |
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| Tightening of U.S.-México border reported by Chertoff |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says measures, such as hiring more agents and installing hi-tech detectors, have resulted in 22 percent decrease in arrests of illegal immigrants along the southern U.S border with Mexico. He says this is a sign U.S. authorities are beginning to get control of the border. But a separate U.S. government audit released this week found that thousands of illegal migrants made their way undetected through screening procedures at legal ports of entry, such as airports and land border crossings. Over the past year, the Bush administration has stepped up raids on companies that employ undocumented workers, hired more border control agents, built fences and installed high-tech security devices along the southwestern border. Chertoff said the tougher enforcement measures have led to more than a 20 percent drop in border arrests. "We are beginning to see a significant turn in the direction of migration. We haven't completed the job yet, but we've made a significant first step and are reversing the tide of illegal migration between the ports of entry," he said. Demetrios Papademetriou, president of the Migration Policy Institute, an independent, non-partisan research group based in Washington, agrees that real progress has |
been made in border security, but thinks only time will tell if the gains are lasting. "To take this progress and say that we're turning the tide is certainly an overstatement. There have been many times in the past 20 years or so that politicians have made similar claims, and six months later, a year later, you know, things turned again," he said. Chertoff said that arrests in the interior of the United States were up substantially during fiscal year 2007, with criminal charges filed against 863 people, up from 716 the year before. Despite the progress, a government audit released earlier this week found that thousands of illegal workers came in undetected through legal entry points, such as airports and land border crossings. The Government Accountability Office said weaknesses in U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations increase the potential that terrorists and criminals could enter the country. A Customs and Border Protection official acknowledged staffing shortages, but doubted that the agency had failed to catch thousands of violators. Some 400 million people cross U.S. borders each year, and authorities have been unable to screen all of them without disrupting U.S. travel and trade with Canada and Mexico. |
| Venezuelan students hit by bullets as they leave rally against Chávez reforms |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Venezuelan officials say at least four people were wounded after unidentified gunmen opened fire on university students returning from a protest against constitutional changes. Authorities said late Wednesday that no one was killed in the violence. A government official had initially told local television that one person had died. The exact circumstances of the shooting remain unclear. The violence erupted after thousands of university students marched to Venezuela's supreme court to demand it |
postpone a referendum on
constitutional changes that would expand the power of President Hugo
Chávez. The constitutional changes would eliminate presidential term limits, further socialist reforms by Chávez and strip the central bank of its autonomy. They also would give authorities sweeping powers if a national emergency is declared, including detention without charges and controls on the news media. Venezuela's opposition parties, human rights groups and the Roman Catholic Church have condemned the plan. Former Venezuelan defense minister Raúl Baduel says the changes would amount to a coup d'etat by Chávez. |
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