Glenhills resident warns of ATM thieves
This is the second time the local resident was targeted at an ATM.
A GLENHILLS resident outsmarted a thief at an ATM in Forest Drive, La Lucia last week. Danielle Venter, who has been a victim of ATM card theft previously, said a suspect tried to dupe her by entering her details into a machine which she had just used. Venter had lost R4 000 to the thieves in a similar incident last year and identified the man as the same one who successfully stole from her last year.
“It was about 7.15am and I used my card, put in my pin and finished my transaction. I noticed a guy in the corner of my eye and decided to be cautious and just keep an eye on him. I began walking back to my mom, who was waiting in the car for me, when the same gentleman said I’d left my transaction open. When I looked back at the screen I noticed it had the same message that left me out of pocket that last time.
“I ignored the screen and began walking back to the car and this man, who I later identified as the same man who stole my card last year at another ATM in uMhlanga. He jumped into a white Polo and the vehicle sped off. I knew he was trying to get me to put my card back into the machine to try and distract me and steal my card,” she said.
Venter said, since her previous ordeal, she had become more cautious.
“The last time I was cancelling my card, the thieves had already withdrawn R4 000 within minutes. I’m now more cautious and a little more aggressive at the ATM. I ask people to step back if they are standing too close to me,” she said.
Durban North SAPS also warned residents to be vigilant at ATMs.
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter to keep up-to-date with local news or follow us on WhatsApp on 060 532 5532.
