The woman said she was about to use the machine when she noticed that the man who had used the ATM before her had left his slip behind. She called the man back and he offered to assist her as he claimed the machine was ‘tricky’.
She accepted his help and inserted her card into the machine. The machine asked her for her account number and she ignored it. It is unclear why the machine asked for her account number. The ATM then swallowed her card and she called Absa to ask them to block the card. All the while, the man was at her side. She said, however, he disappeared soon after she ended the call.
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After noticing he had disappeared, she checked her messages and found that R4 000 had been withdrawn from her account.
“We don’t know as yet how the man could’ve stolen the money, however, a common modus operandi is that they use a small machine to swipe your card’s information,” said Constable Matome Tlamela, head of communications at Midrand Police Station.
It is also unclear as to how he swiped her card as the victim stated she inserted her card into the machine and the suspect did not touch it.
“A case of common robbery was opened at the Midrand Police Station and police are investigating the case,” said Tlamela.
Tlamela said, this is a typical case where people are advised to exercise caution when using an ATM.
She also mentioned the importance of not trusting strangers while using ATMs.
“People should always be mindful of these safety tips,” she said.
- Be alert and conscious of your surroundings when using the ATM
- Never give your card or PIN (Personal Identification Number) to anyone, for any reason
- Do not write your PIN on the card or on anything that is kept with the card
- Do not insert your card until asked to do so by the ATM 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 typing in your pin
- Also, make sure you 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 also 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
- 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.
“A case of common robbery was opened at the Midrand Police Station and police are investigating the case,” said Tlamela.
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