A LOCAL resident was robbed of R5 000 in what is believed to be a card-swapping incident in Glenashley on Sunday. The money was fleeced from the account within a few hours, explained Lt Raymond Deokaran, spokesman for the Durban North SAPS.
“The resident had used an ATM in Glenashley when a man behind him told him there was something wrong with the machine and then forcefully tried to help him. He managed to press the cancel button and in the ensuing confusion, he swapped the cards in the process and made a hasty exit from the ATM stall,” said Deokaran.
“I urge residents to be vigilant at ATMs and to never accept any help. It’s also important to keep your information confidential and avoid lesser-used ATMs,” he said.
Deokaran urged residents to register for the notify service, which several banks offer, where an SMS is automatically sent out when there is activity on an account such as withdrawals, debit orders and credit-card purchases.
In a separate but similar incident at a La Lucia ATM, a woman was accosted by a man who she said ‘tampered’ with the ATM. No money was reported taken in the incident.
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