How to prevent being scammed at the bank or ATM
Vigilance is the password in order to avoid becoming the victim of an ATM crime.
Criminals and scamsters invent new ways of tricking people into giving them access to their banking accounts and money on a daily basis.
Captain Lydia Dikolomela of Florida Police Station has provided the following basic rules that should be observed when at the bank or ATM.
• Make sure that you are not being followed after withdrawing a large amount of cash at the bank and if at all possible try and take someone to accompany you.
• Do not go to withdraw money alone at night at secluded ATMs. Instead use the ATM at a garage or somewhere similar where there are other people present and in most cases security. Again try to get someone to accompany you if possible.
• Be cautious and vigilant of suspicious persons when withdrawing money from an ATM.
• Do not be distracted by other people in the queue who try and strike up a conversation.
• Do not allow another person to ‘help’ you.
• Never reveal your PIN code to anyone.
• Be on the lookout for people who pretend to be bank employees.
• Do not enter your card or your PIN code if suspicious devices are attached to the ATM’s card slot.
A good example of a typical scheme is the following.
A person, usually a female, suddenly will pick up a large amount of money on the sidewalk and will ask you to accompany her to a secluded space so that you can share the money. When you get to the secluded location you will find that her accomplices are waiting to rob you of the cash you just withdrew plus other valuables on your person, such as cellphones and jewellery.
