After the first article of an ATM scam had appeared on the News’ website on 29 May, another Krugersdorp resident came forward with more information.
Adriaan de Jager emailed the News photos of a suspect matching the description of the ‘friendly stranger’ who ‘assisted’ a woman at an ATM in Krugersdorp West minutes before withdrawing her whole salary.
He claimed he was close to being scammed at an ATM in Westgate Shopping Centre by the same group of scamsters who managed to nab his bank card out his hand.
“Exactly the same way they had done it before and also at a Standard Bank,” said De Jager when he told the News about his ATM experience with the two scamsters.
At the Standard Bank ATM one scamster ‘forgot’ his receipt in the slot and approached De Jager, who was at the ATM at the time, to get back his receipt.
The scamster then quickly explained that the ATM was ‘faulty’ or jamming and the card had to be inserted in a certain way.
The next moment De Jager’s card was gone.
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“If I didn’t see the corner of my card he was holding in his hand, I would have assumed the card was in the machine.”
De Jager explained that the scamsters pressed the money transfer option, which will show the numbers when ATM users type in their pin codes.
“Luckily I noticed what was going on and told him to give back my card or lose a few teeth.”
The scamster quickly returned his card before taking off with three other accomplices in a black Corsa, as formerly reported.
De Jager took pictures of the suspects he had spotted operating at the Westgate Standard Bank as well as at the Wilrogate Shopping Centre, where they fled in a black Ford Fiesta.
Residents are urged again to take extra care when withdrawing money at ATMs in Krugersdorp and Roodepoort where the scamsters are reported to be operating.
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