Visitors charged with ATM fraud

(CNS): Two Chilean nationals appeared in court Monday charged with theft and money laundering in an ATM fraud involving four machines in George Town belonging to an undisclosed bank. Police began investigating the case on 16 April after the local bank discovered that the teller machines had been compromised after users’ account details were copied. The couple is said to have stolen around CI$78,000 from multiple accounts they accessed over an unspecified period.

Police said the bank had identified all apparent victims, and the accounts have been re-secured. The ATMs have also been subjected to additional security measures.

The couple, a 27-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man, were arrested on 9 May at the Owen Roberts International Airport while attempting to leave the Island. Since then, the man has been formally charged with one count of theft and six counts of money laundering, while the woman has been charged with two counts of money laundering. Both remain in custody until their court appearance today.