Police have issued an urgent scam warning to anyone using an ATM.
People who use an ATM anywhere in the UK have been warned after police discovered a new type of theft where bank cards are grabbed by machines and duplicated for crooks to use.
Hertfordshire Constabulary have told residents to be vigilant after several reports of thefts where bank cards were held up by the machines.
The victims later discovered that money had been withdrawn from their accounts after their card was lost.
ATM scam: Police issue warning
Detective Sergeant Mark Fava, of the Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: ‘It appears these thefts are being carried out by a discreet device placed on the machine’s card slot, which scans details of the card, transmits the data to the criminal, then blocks the return of the card.
“The best way to prevent this from happening to you is to cancel or suspend your bank card if it is held up by an ATM. If you have a banking app on your phone, you may be able to temporarily block your card until you can establish what happened. Otherwise, you may need to call your bank to cancel or suspend the card until it is collected.
How to protect yourself against this type of scam
If your card is held by an ATM, call your bank and request that it be blocked or canceled immediately.
This may also be an option through an app on your phone.
When withdrawing cash, take the usual precautions such as shielding the keypad when entering your PIN and always examine the machine before use.
If anything looks out of place, or if there are coins that look added, don’t use it and report your suspicions to the bank.
If the machine fails to return your card or the money you have withdrawn, you should contact the police on the non-emergency number 101 and your bank to let them know.
Police are urging Britons to take the following precautions when using ATMs:
1. Always look carefully at the card insertion point of an ATM before using it. If it appears to have been tampered with, do not use it.
2. If you realize the machine has been tampered with after inserting your card, call your bank while standing in front of the ATM if it is safe to do so.
3. Always protect your hand when entering your PIN code at an ATM.
4. If the machine holds your card or fails to dispense the money you have withdrawn, without a proper explanation message on the screen, contact your bank immediately and then the police on our non-emergency number 101.
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Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-06-24 23:05:00
