ATM users warned over cash card theft scam

ATM users have been warned by gardaí to be on the lookout for thieves who can steal hundreds of euro from their accounts.

Gardaí have urged people to be extra vigilant when using cash machines, as dozens of people have been robbed in the last few days in an ATM scam known as the Lebanese Loop.

The thieves place a tiny piece of plastic into the slot where users put their ATM cards. Its presence is practically unnoticeable. When a user inserts a card and enters a PIN number, the cash is dispensed but the card will remain in the machine.

The next person in line then tells the victim that this has happened to them before and that all they have to do is key in their PIN number again and the card will come out. He then memorises the PIN number as it is entered, but the card still won't be returned as it is stuck in the plastic.

The thief in the queue then advises the victim to report it to their bank, but when they leave he pulls out the plastic strip with the card attached. He then has both the victim's card and their PIN number and can withdraw as much cash as he wants which can be up to €700 a time.

A number of ATM machines in Galway have been used in the scam. Detective Sergeant Donal O'Grady of Mill Street station said the fraudsters have been using this trick in other towns and appear to be making their way to Dublin.

He advised people to check the machine if the card suddenly becomes stuck and to ensure nothing is sticking out of the slot.

"If your card was not returned to you at an ATM machine you should contact your bank and carefully examine your withdrawals. If you notice anything suspicious, report it," Det Sgt O'Grady said.

In Britain, fraud squads have noticed more hi-tech systems to steal people's cash. Methods like "shoulder surfing", where someone spies over your shoulder to get your PIN number and then steals the card, are now seen as outdated, with criminals instead using card copying equipment and remote cameras or miniature electronic scanners to get the PIN number.

Anyone with any information about the spate of Lebanese Loop scams in Galway is urged to contact the gardaí at 091 538025.