ATM scams come out of nowhere
CRIMINALS: PRESENT THEMSELVES AS MODEL CITIZENS
If you think it can’t happen to you, you may learn an expensive lesson.
I’ve never considered myself an easy target for criminals, let alone fraudsters who trade in deception. I may not be deeply suspicious by nature, but my inner alarm bells are easily set off, and I’ve been warned many times about dodgy characters stealing other people’s money at ATMs.
Despite all this, I was still swindled – and all I could think was “damn, that was fast!”
I stepped up to the ATM and inserted my card. It got stuck half-way, so the elderly gentleman – and I mean that quite literally – behind me came to my aid, saying: “Yes, sometimes it does that. You just need to push it a little.”
Causally, he pulled the card out and immediately reinserted it the whole way. I watched his hand closely – the whole time. My card never left my sight. I wasn’t happy, and should have left. But he was mature in years, well-dressed and well-spoken, and seemed genuine – a perfect gentleman.
He stepped back into the queue. I entered my PIN and it came back as “incorrect”. I should have known better – I did know better, right? I tried it one more time, and then cancelled the transaction. I stood for a moment: did he steal my card and replace it with a dummy? How could he; it never left my sight? He was an elderly gentleman just trying to help...
In the time it took me to get back to my car and call the stop card number, a considerable sum had already been withdrawn. Damn, that was quick.
The truth is that these ATM fraudsters are beyond skilful and will swap your valid card in the blink of an eye. Then they will watch you enter your PIN and before you know it, your balance has dropped by your daily draw limit.
These guys – and women, too – present themselves as model citizens, just trying to help. They have many techniques, including card skimming; card swapping; shoulder surfing – where an innocuous bystander watches you enter your PIN – and trapping cards inside ATMs to retrieve them later.
I learnt an expensive lesson the hard way.