Financial cops round up suspect ATM scammer
(CNS) UPDATED: Police from the Financial Crimes Unit have arrested a Bulgarian man that they believe was trying to scam local bank ATMs this weekend (24 and 25 September). The RCIPS said that the FCU had received reports of suspicious activity where attempts were made to withdraw cash from machines using fraudulent ‘cloned’ gift cards at two different banks. The 37-year-old man was arrested yesterday afternoon for money laundering offences after police released a description of the suspect to the media who had been seen in Buckingham Square on West Bay Road on Saturday afternoon at the bank ATM there. He remains in custody.
Asking the public to be conscious of suspicious activity at bank machines, the RCIPS pointed to the possible use of lots of different gift cards, credit cards or ATM cards by one individual at a machine as something to report. They also warned cardholders to also exercise care to secure their PIN number and also to check the ATM to ensure there are no skimming devices attached.
Anyone who may have seen other suspects is asked to call the RCIPS Financial Crimes Unit at 949-8797. Anonymous tips can be provided via the Miami-based call centre of Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS), or online here.
This credit card skimming is a major problem all over the world read this
http://www.flushyoutube.com/search?q=Romanian%20ATM%20skimmers&token=CAwQAQ
FYI some info on skimming devices
http://www.ossianstatebank.com/uploads/page/How%20to%20Spot%20ATM%20and%20Pin%20Skimming%20Devices.pdf
Perhaps if our local banks issued proper cards with modern-day security chips, then our backyard would cease to appeal as the Eastern European fraud tourism destination that it seems to have become? While we’re at it, we should be severely restricting the appeal of the other side of the equation – the pawn shops and cash for gold, precious mineral and gem stone crime-enabling apparatae. We shouldn’t want to be courting any facet of the laundering methods utilized around the world. The era of looking the other way on the commission-based merchant sector dealing in compact “duty free” liquid fungible assets without any questions asked should have expired with Cayman’s first steps towards AML/FATF compliance. It should be obvious we have holes that are being exploited.
I totally agree with CSG 6:26 pm. Please bear in mind, the average law abiding citizen go to the ATM with one think on their mind – getting some urgent needed funds and rarely pay attention to anything other than putting in their correct PIN and the amount they so desire. Unfortunately, it is obvious that criminals also have this in mind. So, the urgency here is for the banks to provide a crash course, via a brochure/pamphlet, to the general public of what we should be looking for.
I for one, have very little in my account but nevertheless it still is my money and the banks are responsible for keeping it safe for me.
Interesting how so many comments relate to the banks ensuring safety. I use my bank’s ATM’s. I know what the fronts look like. I know what the card reader should be like from years of use. So would it not stand to reason that I am the best person to watch out for something that looks wrong and report it ASAP?????
We all need to take more responsibility for our actions & observations in everyday life.
p.s. – the report only mentions cloned cards not any ATM changes.
Good job rcips on the quick arrest.
The banks should regularly check the ATMs and put additional security measures in place to protect themselves and their customers. A public awareness campaign would certainly help to educate people about ATM related theft tactics and devices used. I am left feeling more inclined to visit the bank and wait in line to carry out my transactions.
Skin colour at least? but if they that description surely they have a photo? I’m going to assume that we should include anyone with a recently shaved goatee…..
230 pounds, with dark hair, a slight goatee and a protruding belly, wearing a thin t-shirt with light blue/lavender shorts, and dark running shoes –
Eww. Thin t-shirt, protruding belly, lavender shorts. Just eww.
They can have as much of my overdraft as they want.
Surely the banks bear the burden of ensuring the integrity of their ATMs? All the more so when these ATMs are on bank premises!!
The general public does not know what a skimming device looks like; banking professionals do!! For all the fees we pay for banking services that’s they least they can do!!
What the law enforcement agencies need to do is monitor & profile our borders carefully and when certain nationals show up through third countries deny them entry like was done in the past. Then of course that would make sense and God forbid we do something that make sense nowadays. Prevention is far better than the cure. In previous days police drug units & fraud detectives assisted both Immigration and customs at the airport but then came the “Overseas experts” with their local henchmen who did away with all these programs.Which by the way has unable criminals locally and overseas to operate unhindered in these islands, but alas it has provide excellent jobs opportunities and a environment conducive for those very same overseas experts and retired professionals and their nasty little agenda for these islands to maintain control by creating threats to justify long term employment. Who the Cap fits let them wear it.????
What is a “consprator”?
wow… that is the most racist post I have ever had the misfortune to read on this site…
“when certain nationals show up through third countries deny them entry like was done in the past.”
Would you care to share with us which ‘certain nationals’ come from countries where we should assume that every single one of them is a criminal? Thought not!
Hello so can we get a picture if you can give so much detail someone must have saw him
So your going to place a picture in a paper of someone who is acting suspicious and your going to claim he might be tampering with ATMS
*grabs sides laughing very hard
Uhhhh ya……..that’s not breaking the law is it!?
Hello reality. Ya…we have another one.
you’re* and you’re*.
“They also warned cardholders to also exercise care to secure their PIN number and also to check the ATM to ensure there are no skimming devices attached”
I can agree with exercising care to secure the PIN (“PIN number” is redundant since PIN is Personal Identification Number)
Seriously speaking, how many average law abiding persons actually know what a skimming device looks like to be able to ensure the ATM doesn’t have them?
Has the Financial Unit put out any videos to educate the public on these skimming devices, what to look for, how to identify them?
From previous cases I read in the media, it seems as though these devices are not easily detected, they look and feel just like an ATM.
So what do we the public do? Pull on the card reader to see if it will come off easily? Try to lift up the keypad? Look for hidden cameras?
I just don’t know what is expected.
I am trying to see where it says a skimming device has been attached to an ATM it talks about using cloned cards. I have also gone back to previous news items and all are using some sort of cloned cards not skimming machines.
Maybe with all the millions they make the banks should be funding an awareness campaign and upping there security on ATM’s
Especially when my Bank is charging monthly fees on my SAVINGS account, the Funds of which, are just sitting there earning them money.
How “interesting” you should mention FEES imposed on savings accounts. Fees on checking accounts I can understand, but a certain bank completely drained a savings account established for a minor that was funded by a SINGLE deposit made by a (now deceased) grandparent.
This is blatant THEFT by these banks that are making money from savings account deposits, yet paying ZERO in interest to the depositors! A savings account should attract INTEREST, not FEES!!
Fortunately I found a bank locally that DOES NOT STEAL the funds of savings deposits. Shop around and find the best fit for your banking relationship. BTW I raised HOLY HELL in the bank on a Friday afternoon when I discovered the depleted account, and the funds were restored shortly before I closed the account and went elsewhere!!
This is an updated article, I responded to the earlier article put up by CNS where it specified what I had in quotes in my comment”
Blame CNS.
This is a fair comment, the cops could do more, but I have to agree that the banks bear some responsibility to educate their customers. They make money hand over fist, this we know.