Be vigilant at ATMs
Blue Security urges residents to be more vigilant when using ATMs or visiting banks.
A WARNING has been issued to residents to be vigilant when visiting banks and ATMS to draw money following several recent muggings and robberies on the Berea.
Blue Security managing director Henk Van Bemmelen said the latest incident occurred in Lillian Ngoyi (Windermere) Road at 7.30pm on Saturday evening, when two men robbed a woman of her bank card at a nearby ATM machine and fled in a getaway vehicle.
“This is the second mugging of a bank customer in as many weeks in Lillian Ngoyi Road, indicating a criminal gang is obviously watching and targeting bank customers,” Van Bemmelen said.
In another incident earlier this month an Umbilo bank customer was hijacked of his car and robbed of cash after returning from the bank.
Blue Security urges bank customers to be vigilant, especially now that it is month end when criminals will be actively seeking to rob workers and business owners of their hard earned cash.
“Avoid drawing cash at night and always make sure you are aware of your surroundings when using an ATM. Rather move on to another ATM if anyone waiting in the queue makes you feel uneasy. Never accept assistance from a ‘friendly stranger’ if your card gets stuck or the machine appears to be offline, as criminals sometimes deliberately jam the machines,” he said.
Van Bremmelen said criminals also tried to ‘shoulder surf’ to see a bank customer’s PIN number and then while offering to ‘help’ they deftly grab their victim’s card from the machine and flee the scene.
He advised bank customers to immediately report their stolen cards to the bank before leaving the ATM to avoid criminals drawing cash before the bank can stop the card.
