People still not adhering to ATM warnings

Despite numerous warnings by both Roodepoort and Florida Police Stations, residents continue to fall prey to ATM fraud, because they ignore simple advice.

Captain Lydia Dikolomelo from Florida Police Station said that ATM fraud has reached epidemic proportions and that it will most likely increase over the festive season as shopping increases.

“Florida Police management wishes to inform members of the public to be very careful when they withdraw money from an ATM.

They are warned about the modus operandi of these criminals, who may pretend to offer assistance to the victim and consequently exchange the bank card without the victim noticing. During that moment, the suspect will make sure that he has already memorised the victim’s PIN code and will immediately leave, to go and withdraw cash from another ATM elsewhere. In other instances, the suspects insert a foreign device in the machine so that it can read information from your card for cloning,” said Dikolomelo.

The police have provided the following pointers to residents when using an ATM:

• Do not accept help from strangers.

• Take a family member or friend with you should you need assistance.

• Try to use those ATMs that are inside shops or at petrol stations or that are within shopping malls.

• When you experience problems with the ATM, immediately cancel the transaction and go to another ATM.

• Always be alert about your environment.

• Memorise the bank’s card stop telephone numbers or save them on your cellphone, to use in case of emergencies.

Two hotspots for this crime at present are the ATMs in Anstruther Street, Discovery and the ATMs at Witpoortjie Pick n Pay.

Read more:

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Man gets scammed at ATM fraud hotspot