During the past week I read a letter in a newspaper from someone warning the people about an ATM in Trichardt that took their card and then someone got hold of the card and stole money from their account.
About six weeks ago I was witness to an incident where a card was stolen from a person at an ATM without the person realising the card was stolen.
After that I heard of more similar incidents.
These people are very friendly and very efficient in getting hold of people’s cards.
Here are the things I saw:
1. These criminals work together in groups of two or maybe even three, but the victim won’t notice that because they come to the ATM one at a time.
2. The first one tampers with the machine. In this case a 10c coin was inserted in the slot.
3. The first criminal leaves the machine just before the victim.
4. The victim tries to insert the card into the slot, but it can’t go in.
5. The first criminal sees that and makes a comment about it.
Something in the line that it is strange because he withdrew money just then and had no problems,
6. He hangs around for a few seconds, while the victim tries to insert the card in the slot, but leaves.
7. If the victim stays long enough at the ATM, a second criminal comes to the machine.
8. As soon as it is his turn, he goes to the machine, pretends to do a transaction and then tells the victim he also was able to insert his card, etc.
9. Although there is a notice at the ATM warning people not to accept help from strangers, the way these criminals operate, draws the unsuspecting victim into accepting help from them.
As I said earlier, they are very friendly and helpful. They don’t appear to be pushy but honestly helpful.
10. He then convinces the victim that there is a special way to insert the card into the slot.
11. He “inserts” the card into the slot and tells the victim they can key in their pin.
He even told the victim to put the pin in so that he (criminal) ccould not see it.
He did not insert the card into the slot, but managed to make it disappear, maybe into his sleeve.
12. I don’t know anything about cardless transactions and you will have to check this up, but I suspect the pin showed up on the screen, because there was a block on the screen saying something like type in voucher number.
13. Nothing happened when the victim typed in the pin number. The criminal told the victim to type the pin again. Nothing happened.
14. After several times of this happening, the criminal leaves without saying anything.
It was at this stage that I said to the victim I think they stole her card because I looked at the screen and saw that it was the screen telling her to insert her card.
When pressing the cancel button, no card came out.
It was only after she cancelled the card, that we saw the 10c coin in the slot.
The warning to the public:
If the card cannot go into the slot, just leave.
You can look if there is something in the slot.
If there is, it is no use trying to take it out.
The person standing behind you is most likely the criminal. Don’t even talk to anyone.
If it is possible, always have a cell phone with you and have the stolen card’s number on your phonebook.
Write your card number somewhere where you can find it as soon as you think the machine took your card or suspect someone took it.
Avoid secluded ATMs.
If you have to use one, look into the card slot. If you see something in it, leave.
One thing I am not sure of, is if the bank’s lost or stolen card number can be used if one notices that the machine has been tampered with.
Upset, Secunda.
