Gang nets thousands in city bank ATMs scam

AN East European gang is thought to have netted thousands of euro in another bank card fraud at ATM machines in the city.

Gardaí are pursuing a definite line of inquiry in their efforts to track down the culprits who had tiny ‘pinhole’ cameras inserted into a number of ATMs in the city.

Users of ATMs have again been warned by Gardaí to take every precaution in the ‘covering up’ of PIN number when using the machines.

“These tiny cameras can be inserted at the sides of machine so the covering hand needs to conceal the PIN number from the sides as well as the top,” said a Garda spokesman.

Despite new security measures being put in place by the banks at ATMs, Gardaí have warned that the machines can still be tampered with by the gangs.

“If you are using a pass machine and your money comes out, but your card is ‘gobbled up’, then this should set the alarm bells ringing straight away.

“The gangs have a means of trapping the card inside the machine and then retrieving it later on – once they have the PIN number and the card they can then take out up to €700 a day,” said the Garda spokesman.

Dozens of bank customers in Galway had their bank cards cancelled over the past week and a half or so, as the banks put in place a standard damage limitation process.

Two of the ATMs that were affected in the scam were the AIB facility close to Dunnes Stores in Terryland and the Permanent TSB ‘hole in the wall’ in Eyre Square.

“If anyone has any concerns about an ATM then they should contact the Gardaí straight away. We will have the machines checked out immediately – if possible we would also advise that people making withdrawals do so during normal working hours,” said the Garda spokesman.

He also confirmed that the Gardaí were pursuing a definite line of inquiry in their investigation of the scam, with a gang of East European origin thought to be involved.