Vigilance and awareness will scare off ATM scammers this festive season

The festive season is finally here, and with it, endless queues at ATMs and shopping malls. December shopping and bargain hunting is a characteristic of this season sees thousands of feet in malls and at ATMs. Coupled with this milling of consumers, lurks scammers out to relieve unwary shoppers of their hard-earned bonuses.

Lee-Anne van Zyl, CEO of FNB Points of Presence, said “During the festive season, we tend to be more relaxed and less vigilant and it’s unfortunately at this time that fraudsters are on the prowl. To avoid falling prey, you must always exercise caution by remaining vigilant of your surroundings. It is also important to constantly familiarise yourself with the latest trends that fraudsters are using to evade falling a victim.”

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Here are top 10 ATM tips to keep you safe this festive:

1. Always keep your ATM PIN confidential and never share with anyone or write it down.
2. Stand as close as possible to the ATM and never let anyone stand close or distract you whilst transacting.
3. When transacting, cover the key pad with your hand – scammers can place cameras to record your PIN as you punch it in.
4. Do not enter your PIN on a screen that is unfamiliar to you. Carefully read the instruction on the ATM screen before entering your PIN.
5. Once cash has been withdrawn, immediately place this out of sight. Avoid handling cash in public view and secure your wallet and handbag before leaving the ATM
6. Set a realistic daily limit on your banking to protect yourself, should your details be compromised and check your statements regularly and report suspicious transactions immediately. Rather use your debit card for purchases.
7. Be wary of strangers that may call you back to the ATM to complete a transaction. They often ask for assistance or offer to assist you.
8. Never force your card into the ATM – if the card is not easily accepted by the device, it may have been tampered with by criminals and never use an ATM if it looks faulty or show evidence of tampering.
9. Do not post images of your cash on social media, you might not know who is following you.
10. If you forgot your bank card, you can always use the safe and secured cardless cash withdrawals at the ATM.

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“FNB has various interfaces for customers to transact and we urge all customers to also play their role in the fight against ATM fraud. Customers need to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities,” she added.