Beware of ATM scams, customers warned, as take rises to €3.5m

CRIMINAL gangs have used card-skimming devices to defraud banks of €3.5 million this year, gardaí said yesterday.

The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation warned customers to be on the alert for any suspicious devices attached to ATMs, especially in the run-up to Christmas.

The gangs, predominantly from Eastern Europe, operate all around the country. Machines in both cities and in the country are being targeted, with an average haul for the gangs of €50,000.

Card skimming devices or micro cameras are used to discover the PIN being entered, then the card information is copied onto a blank card to withdraw money from the customer’s account.

The rate of incidents has risen from one or two a month last year to two or three incidents a day.

Irish Payment Services Organisation spokeswoman Una Dillon said all affected customers would be compensated by the banks, but warned they would be able to detect any fraudulent claims.