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Three arrested in Centurion for ATM card scam

Three ATM card scammers were arrested outside the Standard Bank in Centurion Mall on Friday.

August 1, 2015
Rorisang Kgosana 2 minutes read
The three men were nabbed after a security guard saw them swapping a woman's ATM card. PHOTO: Supplied

Three men were nabbed at the Standard Bank outside Centurion Mall on Friday after they tried to scam a woman of her bank card, police said.

Spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach said this happened around 16:00 when the bank’s security guard saw the men acting suspiciously around the ATMs.

“He saw how they swopped a client’s ATM card without her noticing. With the help of other security officers, the three men were searched and the client’s bank card was found in their possession,” she said.

She said the men, originally from Johannesburg, were arrested and handed over to the Lyttelton police.

They will appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a charge of possession of stolen goods, Weilbach said.

The police offered the following safety tips when using an ATM:

• Be alert and conscious of your surroundings when using the ATM.
• Never give your card or PIN (personal identification number) to anyone, for any reason.
• Do not write your PIN on the card or anything that is kept with the card.
• Do not insert your card until asked to do so by the display screen.
• Never use an ATM with a blank screen and, if the ATM is obscured from view or poorly lit, leave immediately and find another ATM.
• Stand close to the ATM and use your body and hand as a shield to make sure nobody sees you keying in your pin.
• Keep your hand over the card slot to make sure nobody can swop or take your card.
• Never accept help from strangers when using an ATM. You should be wary of strangers asking for help too.
• Criminals work in teams – one to distract you while the other steals your card or money.
• If your card is retained (swallowed) by the ATM, it is advisable to phone your bank’s toll-free stop card line immediately and stop your card.
• Never allow a bystander to call the toll-free stop card line on your behalf – they could be tricking you into thinking your card has been stopped.
• Guards are placed at ATMs to discourage criminal activities and therefore cannot help you with transactions.
• If you need help, ask a bank official.
• It is advisable to set a daily ATM withdrawal limit at your branch.

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At Caxton, every story is written by humans. We use AI only to perform quality checks - never to generate the news. Happy reading!
August 1, 2015
Rorisang Kgosana 2 minutes read

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