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Police give ATM safety tips
FOURWAYS – The South African Police Service gives readers tips for how to keep safe from criminals at the ATM.
The South African Police Service has urged South African residents to keep safety in mind when using an automated teller machine (ATM).
The police published a list of helpful tips on their official Facebook page. They advise ATM users to be alert and conscious of their surroundings when using the ATM.
According to the post, criminals have devised various scams to steal money from ATM users, including card skimming, shoulder surfing, card swapping, and trapping cards.
Safety tips from the police:
- Never give your card or PIN (personal identification number) to anyone, for any reason.
- Don’t write your PIN on the card or anything that is kept with the card.
- Do not insert your card until asked to do so by the display screen.
- Never use an ATM with a blank screen and, if the ATM is obscured from view or poorly lit, leave immediately and find another ATM.
- Stand close to the ATM and use your body and hand as a shield to make sure nobody sees you keying in your pin.
- Keep your hand over the card slot to make sure nobody can swap or take your card.
- Never accept help from strangers when using an ATM. You should be wary of strangers asking for help.
- Criminals work in teams – one to distract you while the other steals your card or money.
- If your card is retained (swallowed) by the ATM, it is advisable to phone your bank’s toll-free stop card line
- immediately and stop your card.
- Never allow a bystander to call the toll- free stop card line on your behalf – they could be tricking you into thinking your card has been stopped.
- Security guards are placed at ATMs to discourage criminal activities and therefore cannot help you with transactions.
- If you need help, ask a bank official.
- It is advisable to set a daily ATM withdrawal limit at your branch.
Important telephone numbers for reporting ATM related incidents:
- ABSA 0800 111 155
- Bidvest Bank 0860 111 177
- Capitec Bank 0860 102 043
- Citi Bank 1 800 950 5114
- FNB 0800 110 132
- Investic Bank 011 286 9663
- Mercantile Bank 0860 119 925
- Nedbank 0800 110 929
- Standard Bank 0800 020 600
- Post Office (Postbank) 0800 535 455
- U Bank 0860 00 8322.
Details: Official South African Police Service Facebook page.
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