Skimming gang takes €10,000 from accounts

GARDAÍ have confirmed that at least €10,000 has been skimmed from bank accounts in Cork and the final total could be far higher because hundreds of people may have been stung, but don’t yet realise it.

Gardaí warned yesterday that a gang of Eastern Europeans are using the hi-tech equipment at ATMs in the city centre.

The skimming devices have been fitted into four ATMs in the city centre in the last fortnight. When the devices are removed the information on them is downloaded and the gang clones the ATM card.

Sergeant Mick O’Donoghue said: “We have received 14 complaints from injured parties and the total amount of money taken from their accounts is in the region of €10,000.

“Potentially, though, there could be dozens more people out there who have also been victims but don’t realise it yet.”

It is believed that three men in their 30s or 40s, all of Eastern European origin, are carrying out operation.

The gang normally queue together, providing cover while the man in front fits the device, which incorporates an overhead camera which records the customer’s pin number when they enter it.

At the moment the gang appear to be concentrating on the city centre, but gardaí have warned that suburbs and county towns are at risk. Gardaí said for security reasons they didn’t want to identify the four financial institutions in the city where the ATMs were targeted.

Another scam doing the rounds involves the sale of laptop computers.

Gardaí say the modus opperandi is for two people in a car to approach a person and offer them a brand new laptop for €700.

Sgt O’Donoghue said: “The buyer is shown the laptop, a receipt and a guarantee. They then go to get the cash from an ATM and the laptop is handed over to them in a case.”

However, cases are switched at the last moment and when the person gets to open it they find two Argos catalogues. The weight of the case temporarily fools the recipient into believing that a computer is inside.

Detectives working on the case believe the scam artists are both Irish and in their mid to late 20s. One is between 5ft 8in and 5ft 10in tall and the other is 6ft tall.

They were seen driving a red 93-D Volkswagen Golf. Anybody offered laptops by people fitting these descriptions is asked to contact Anglesea Street Garda Station [phone] or their local garda station.