The level of crime being committed at cash point machines and retail outlets where you mght go to buy a par of women’s shoes is increasing. It is essential that when using ATM machines that you are alert and use them with care and attention so you do not become the next victim to card crime. The media and associations promote us to protect our pin and keep it covered particularly when using your card at the cash point machines but do we know the best way to do this? Well guess what, it can so easily happen to you.
How do you protect your pin? If the cash point is busy or located in a busy point (say close to a shop door), I will keep observe what is occuring around me. Who is watching me so that when I move away from the cashpoint, are they going to follow me? It has not occurred to me that I may be being watched without being aware of it. Everything seemed ok, I was the only person at the ATM.
There was nothing different about the cashpoint which we used on the way to buy our new season’s women’s footwear. I went ahead and used the machine but my card was not returned to me.
I didn’t want to leave the machine but needed to get assistance and didn’t know what to do or where to go. The machine didn’t have a phone number to call for assistance. I had no telephone number to call as the 24 hour numbers are on your card and it is not a number I carry on me.
I can see part of the card but I can’t reach it and pull it out. If this happens to you, you are likely to become a target, of this ever rising ATM fraud scam. A camera will have watched the keypad and recorded your pin number.
The only way to stop your pin number being recorded if a machine has been tampered with is by ensuring that it is covered. If you have a colleague with you or nearby, try and get their attention and ask for them to get help, find phone numbers but ensure you do not go off the machine and it is left unattended. But no, they are not, they will be taking your bank card and going off with it. With your pin number and card these scammers are able to use it at other ATM’s and keep using it until they have reached the daily limit, [or] all the money is removed from the account or the bank cancel it and put a stop on its use.
Ensure that you or a colleague, of course trustworthy friend, stay with the machine preventing it from any more use until you get your card back. Pull and twist around the hole that your card slides into and see if there is anything unusual or unnatural. Does anything move a little or flick off?
This scam works by using an extra cover where you place your card in and it will have additional piece of card on to refrain your card from being returned to you. It maybe best to force the card back into the machine instead of risking someone pinching it at a later time but make sure it is forced all the way back into machine.
You may also see a litle hole for a camera or an additional strip of light.
If you are stuck at the machine, then you may need to call and report your view to the police. They should also be able to assist you to cancel your card.
If you are aware of what to look for and how to protect yourself fully when using an ATM, you should be able to avoid this stress Check the machine for any signs of extra metal strips, out of the ordinary lights, a cover over the card insert gap. Also the next best advice, is to ensure you cover the hand you are putting your pin with, by your other hand across the top. This is because, if there is any device looking on to the keypad, they won’t be able to read your pin and if by chance they do get your card then they should be less likely to get your cash!
