Africa-Press – Mozambique. Two young men have been detained in Tete on charges of fraud. The pair were arrested for falsely offering to help customers at ATMs with the aim of exchanging cards and stealing money from their accounts, police says. The scam is known as ‘skimming, a method of obtaining personal data from ATM, debit, or credit cards while they are used at an ATM machine or a merchant location (for more information, watch the video below).
National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) spokesperson for Tete, Celina Roque, said that the young men were arrested in the act, last Thursday, at one of the ATMs close to Tete Provincial Hospital, after stealing 10,000 meticais from an employee of the health unit.
“They were putting a code in the ATM so that the machine would reject the card, then offering to help as if in good faith. During their routine, they swapped cards and, on the new attempt, they learned the PIN. In the end, the customer gave up because the difficulties continued, and the fraudsters kept withdrawing the money,” she detailed.
More than 60 bank cards
She said that the gang consisted of three youngsters, one of whom managed to escape. The detainees had in their possession more than 60 cards from different banks and a vehicle they used for getaways.
ATM skimming: How to spot an ATM skimmer
This animation explains the practice of automatic teller machine (ATM) skimming, a common form of fraud that involves a compromised ATM that allows criminals to access bank accounts.
ATM skimming usually employs two separate components. First, a fake card reader is fitted onto the ATM’s card slot. It scans and stores the information on the card’s magnetic strip as it slides through.
Then, a pinhole camera hidden on or near the ATM records the PIN entered on the keypad. Alternatively, a fake keypad is placed on top of the real one to record the digits entered.
To avoid becoming victim to skimming fraud, one must check for any objects mounted on the ATM or near it. Comparing the ATM being used to another nearby can help spot suspicious differences.
Examine any mounted parts by pulling them to see whether they are securely attached. Feel the keypad for its sensitivity and check whether it was placed on top of a real one.
The research also reports that 60% of incidents took place at non-bank ATMs. You might want to avoid using ATMs in malls, for instance, and stick with those located outside or inside your bank.
According to PCMag, one should examine any mounted parts by pulling them to see if they are securely attached. Also, try to feel the keypad for its sensitivity and check if it was placed on top of a real one.
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