A 19-YEAR-OLD first year student’s bank account was cleaned out by ATM thieves on Tuesday evening on Swapo (Broadway) Road. The victim’s aunt, who spoke to Northglen News this morning, said the thieves stole R3 000 by swapping bank cards and left the La Lucia resident with just R19.
“He was at the FNB ATM and put his card into the machine when a weird screen popped up and ejected his card. Before he could react, one of two men rushed to the machine and pushed his card in. My nephew asked the man to step away which he did. As he proceeded with the transaction, the man again interrupted and we believe, in the ensuing chaos, he was able to swap the cards. My nephew spotted the men jumping into a red Opel Monza and speeding off down the road.
“Sadly, they were able to transfer all his savings to his cheque account and withdrew all the money, a total of R3 000 within minutes. The money was going to be used to help fund a holiday and he is just devastated. He has cancelled his card but all that’s left in his account is R19. He is in disbelief that this happened,” she said.
Read also: Glenhills resident warns of ATM thieve’s techniques
Last week the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) cautioned residents about bank crimes that could be prevalent this festive season. According to SABRIC, lost and stolen card fraud is still on the increase.
“Criminals are always looking for opportunities to defraud their victims, particularly at this time of year when they know that people are winding down for the holidays, and spending their bonuses,” SABRIC CEO Kalyani Pillay said on Tuesday.
By interrupting or interfering with a bank customer while transacting, cards are swapped, stolen or trapped in the ATM, only to be used later by the fraudster.
Read also: Man robbed, R30 000 outside Durban North ATM
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