Money stolen in ATM card swap scam

Just minutes after thieves stole Stoffel Reynders’s bank card at an ATM in the Meyerton city centre, about R13 000 was withdrawn from his account.

Reynders said he had gone to withdraw money at the ATM in front of Pick n Pay just after 10am on Monday morning, reports Vaal Weekblad.

“I was standing in the queue. The man in front of me used the ATM and when he was done he stood on the corner. When I got to the ATM and pushed my card into the slot, another man came and punched me from the side.

“They got the card and they just left. It was so fast. I was so shocked. I still thought I had the card in my hand after they left,” he said.

According to Reynders, a woman standing behind him confirmed that the thugs had stolen his card. She told him she was recently caught with the same scam and that R7 000 was stolen from her account.

Reynders called the fraud department to stop his card, but it was too late. His bank statements show that money was withdrawn three times within a few minutes.

At 10.32am, R3 000 was withdrawn; A minute later, a further R1 000; and at 10.34am R9 895.48 was withdrawn.

Reynders, who went to the bank and was told how much was withdrawn from his account, said he did not understand how this could have happened as he had a daily limit of R1 500 on his card.

The bank took a statement from him and issued a reference number. He will have to wait and see if he will get some of the money back. – Caxton News Service