A LOCAL resident was robbed of R16 000 in what is believed to be a card swapping incident in uMhlanga. The theft was carried out over a period of seven days.

“The resident had used an ATM in uMhlanga and a man behind her told her she was taking too long and then forcefully tried to help her. He managed to press the cancel button and in the ensuing confusion, he swapped the cards in the process and made a hasty exit from the ATM stall,” said Lt Raymond Deokaran, spokesman for the Durban North station.

“This is the fourth incident this year. Last month three residents had their cards swapped and were collectively robbed of 24 500. I urge residents to be vigilant at ATMs and to never accept any help. It’s also important to keep your information confidential and avoid lesser used ATMs. People are well within their rights to ask someone to step back,” he said.

Deokaran urged residents to register for the notify service, which several banks offer, where  an SMS is automatically sent out when there is activity on an account such as withdrawals, debit orders and credit-card purchases.