Card thieves active at ATMs in Boksburg

ATM scamsters are up to their old tricks and Boksburg police are warning residents to be on high alert when withdrawing money at the ATMs, particularly in the CBD.

According to Boksburg SAPS spokesperson Sgt Cebisa Maseko, a man told the police that he was trying to withdraw money from an ATM in Commissioner Street, CBD, on February 28, when he was interrupted by the assailant, described as a black male.

Moments after inserting his card and entering the pin, the victim noticed that something was amiss, and he immediately cancelled the transaction and removed the card.

It was when he went to the other machine when the thief came closer and kept on saying things about the machine, which he believes were just some tricks to distract him as he was busy at the ATM.

The suspicious victim immediately cancelled the transaction, but this time he could not get the card and he was convinced that it remained inside the machine.

He, the victim, then contacted the bank and asked for the card to be blocked, but a few minutes later he discovered that someone had withdrawn R1 700 from his bank account. Police opened a case of fraud.

• ‘Secure ATM’s’

Just when you think ATMs located inside guarded business buildings are safe, a number of bank customers reportedly had their bank cards stolen at the ATMs located inside a store on Leeuwpoort Street, Boksburg CBD. One customer, a woman, told the Advertiser she was on March 3 distracted by card thieves at the cash machine located inside the store.

She described the thieves as a group of about five men who stole her card in a similar fashion to what happened to the victim at the ATM on Commissioner Street.

The woman, however, managed to get her card blocked before the thieves could ransack her account.

Prior to this incident, the Advertiser also received a number of complaints about the group of men who stand next to the two cash machines inside the Boxer store waiting for people coming to withdraw money.

The store manager, Pelma Lamani, confirmed that they have received a number of complaints whereby people complain about their cards being stolen by card thieves while trying to withdraw money from the ATMs.

“The victims have individually opened cases and whenever the police come here, we co-operate and give them the footage that we believe could help them with the investigations to identify the perpetrators.

“Unfortunately, it looks like the people who are supposed to help protect are not winning, and we don’t have the power to remove or chase people who come and stand in the queue pretending that they are waiting to withdraw money.

“Because we are also concerned about the card thefts here and across the city, we have next to the ATMs at our store posted a notice with a warning that people should refrain from allowing strangers to assist them at the ATM.

“We even go as far as to use our public address system to remind people to be on high alert when using the ATMs.

“If people need any assistance at the ATM, they can ask the staff members wearing red T-shirts or the store security to help them,” said Lamani.

Lamani said to get the problem resolved, she plans to take it up with the relevant banks.

Boxer marketing director Andrew Mills echoed what Lamani said. “We are doing our best to protect our customers through safety awareness and sharing information with the police.”

Mills said they are aware that except for the few incidents that were reported on their premises, these card scams take place in many other places in Boksburg and across the country.

“Whenever it happens on our premises, we react. At times when we detect something suspicious we encourage customers to rather use our tills to withdraw money because they are safer and even cheaper,” said Mills.

• Modus operandi

Below is a list of the several modus operandi or tricks criminals reportedly used to steal bank cards at ATMs, according to the police.

• Known as card thieves, they reportedly operate in groups and apparently sometimes tamper with the machine and wait for their victim to steal the money from.
• Once they see someone approaching the machine, they get closer and stand in the queue pretending to be waiting to withdraw money from the ATM.
• Apparently because of whatever they have done to the machine, you will somehow battle to withdraw your money and while you’re busy, one of them sneakily gets close enough to see you enter your PIN and notes it down for later.
• Thereupon, the thief will offer to assist you while one of his accomplices, who has already placed himself at the ATM next to the victim, also ask the same guy for assistance, just to make you believe that the person offering to help is a Good Samaritan. He will then tell his accomplice that he will come and assist him after you have been helped.
• Once the fraudster noticed that you are distracted, he, during the process of helping you quickly, cancels the transaction and switches the bank card for a fake one which is similar to yours, and that takes just a few seconds.
• They will then all quickly rush to another ATM and use your stolen card and pin number to ransack your savings.

To beat this scam, police and Lamani are urging bank customers to not allow strangers to assist or distract them while busy at the ATMs.

If you suspect that someone is up to no good, or notice something strange, cancel the transaction and call the police immediately.

It is also advisable to always know the bank number to dial in case you suspect that thieves have stolen your real card and switched it with a fake one. -@MthuphaFanie