New Cash ATM scam crooks drain accounts in minutes

Police have warned ATM users across the country to be wary after uncovering a new type of theft where bank cards are swallowed by the machines and then duplicated by crooks for use.

In the new cash machines scam the crooks will steal your ATM card details and drain your bank account in minutes.

A spate of victims in Kampala have reported that their cards had been retained by ATMs. They later found fraudsters had withdrawn cash from their account using a different machine, sometimes within minutes.

One victim said an ATM in Ndeeba, a Kampala surburb, gobbled up her card before a message appeared on the screen saying that it was unavailable.

She was still standing at the ATM while on the phone to her bank when she saw two withdrawals worth a total of sh1.6m had been made at another machine nearby. There was a further attempt at another location, but the card had been blocked.

Police in Kampala have reportedly recorded three other similar cases since January, which appear to be linked.

A card used at a Garden City cashpoint was retained and its details were later used in other ATMs.

When a card was placed in an ATM in Ntinda, the screen asked for a four-digit security code. The victim entered the PIN. On checking their account immediately after, they found three transactions had been carried out from another ATM.

And a card retained at a machine in Entebbe was used a staggering eight times at another ATM. It would appear the fraudsters are able to create duplicate cards which are used in other ATMs or in branch to withdraw cash.

The best way to avoid this happening to you is to cancel or suspend your bank card if it is retained by an ATM. If you have a banking app on your phone you may be able to freeze your card temporarily until you can establish what has happened. Alternatively, you may need to call your bank to cancel or suspend the card until it has been recovered.’