Check then check again is the message for users of ATM machines from Waikato Police after a sophisticated skimming device was located on a money machine in Hamilton over recent days.
Sergeant Brendon Davis of the Waikato Tactical Crime Unit said officers have been working closely with banking organisations since the discovery on Grey St on the 10th of November.
“An alert member of the public located the device and alerted the bank who in turn contacted Police.
“The device was made up of a clandestine green overlay which sits over the green sleeve where the victim’s ATM card goes into the machine that scans a victim’s card and a moulding that contained a pinhole camera, power source and SD card that is used to capture imagery of the victim entering their PIN.”
Mr Davis said Police had been in contact with the bank operating the targeted money machine and banks operating other machines in the immediate area to prevent any similar type of offending.
“The device has been described to us by industry experts as being quite complex and sophisticated.
“Often a type of offending done by Eastern Bloc crime syndicates the last large scale offending of this type was undertaken by offenders origination from Romania and we are working with partner agencies to see if we can identify any persons of interest who may have entered the country.”
While Police are working on this there are a number of steps Mr Davis said the public could take to prevent them falling victim to this type of offending.
1. Cover your password with your hand
“This prevents the hidden cameras picking up your PIN. By protecting it, ATM skimmers can't access your account.”
2. Use familiar ATMs and limit your visits
“Try and avoid ATMs located in dimly lighted spots or using them late at night when they could be more susceptible to fraud. “
3. Check your bank balance frequently
“The more frequently you check your balances the more likely you are to detect something is amiss and the quicker you can alert the bank.”
4. Observe the ATM, if it doesn’t seem right it probably isn’t and alert the bank
“Look at an ATM to make sure a card slot is "legitimate and not tacked on." Look for things that strike you as unusual.
"Some people have felt something’s not right when they’ve inserted their card. In that case, alert the bank and try another ATM.”
When protecting your account against ATM skimmers, Mr Davis said it’s all about awareness.
“If something doesn’t seem right it probably isn’t so contact your bank and contact Police.”
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