Randburg police would like to once again notify the public to be vigilant of scammers taking advantage of customers at ATMs.
Randburg police spokesperson Captain Makgowanyana Maja said in a few recent incidents, fraudsters targeted individuals attempting to withdraw money at ATMs in petrol station forecourts.
According to Maja, the suspects pretend to assist customers at a sabotaged ATM while attempting to swap their bank card.
Suspects gain hold of a victim’s bank card and claim that the ATM is not operational when trying to assist them, swapping their card for a similar one in the process.
“When shopping or withdrawing money from an ATM, do not trust any person who approaches you to offer you advice or an under-the-counter deal. Never hand over your valuables or any personal information to them as they are most likely a scammer,” concluded Maja.
Here are some tips to keep safe at ATMs:
- Be wary of people who try to lure you with stories that are too good to be true and only buy products on the Internet from reputable companies
- Be careful of people who volunteer to assist you at the ATM
- Do not believe promises of easy money
- Do not use repeat passwords for anything involving sensitive personal information
- Avoid isolated ATMs and don’t use them late at night
- If you feel unsafe at an ATM or you are suspicious of individuals loitering in the vicinity, trust your instincts, go away and use another ATM
- Never accept help from strangers when using an ATM
- Don’t allow anyone to swipe your card on a small black device unknown to you
- Never send emails that contain card numbers and expiry dates or disclose this information over the phone.
