A well-known shopping complex in town has been the centre of attention recently on social media, with community members posting messages about their ordeals of being robbed or scammed.
Many people have allegedly been robbed or scammed out of their money by criminals who are always ready to pounce. Speaking to management from the centre, they say there have been a few instances where complaints came through to them, with people claiming that they were robbed at the ATM.
However, when security footage was watched, it was revealed that the victims were not robbed but scammed after accepting help from strangers at the ATM.
Centre management say they have surveillance cameras and security that is up and running all the time, but that people need to be vigilant when using ATMs and not accept help from strangers.
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Here are a few safety measures given by the South African Police Service (SAPS) for when you are at an ATM:
- 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.
- Dont write your PIN on the card or anything that is kept with the card.
- Do not insert your card until asked to do so by the 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 keying 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 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.
- 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.
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