Durban North SAPS warns of ATM robbers
In the most recent incident, a woman was robbed at gunpoint by two suspects.
A WOMAN was robbed of cash and her cellphone by two men at an ATM on Umhlanga Rocks Drive on Wednesday, February 1.
Captain Raymond Deokaran, spokesperson for the Durban North SAPS, said this is one of four cases registered this year so far involving various forms of theft or robbery at an ATM.
“The incident occurred at 06:45, and the woman had used an ATM at a shopping centre on Umhlanga Rocks Drive. She had just withdrawn her money when she was approached by two suspects. One of the suspects was armed with a gun and demanded she handed over her valuables. They robbed her of R400 in cash, her bank cards and a Samsung cellphone valued at R4 500,” he said.
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“The suspects escaped on foot. We have recorded a few incidents of robberies and thefts at ATMs in the area so far this year. The cases have occurred early in the morning or evening, and the suspects seem to target machines that are less frequented by people. As a station, we are staggering our times of patrol, however, we cannot police all ATMs,” he said.
He also urged residents to be vigilant when using an ATM and to never accept help.
“It’s also important to keep your information confidential and avoid lesser-used ATMs. People are well within their rights to ask someone to step back if they feel someone is getting too close to them at a stall,” he said.
Deokaran also urged residents to register for the notification service that 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.
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