Teens used magazine in ATM scams

A 15-year-old boy, who took part in a spate of slick ATM scams where people had €200 stolen from under their noses, has been remanded on continuing bail pending sentence.

Judge Hugh O’Donnell heard at the Dublin Children’s Court today that the boy had also been charged with another similar theft of €200 from a man at an ATM on Dublin’s O’Connell Street, on June 7 last.

The Romanian teen has already pleaded guilty to the theft of €200 from a woman at an ATM on Grafton Street, on March 11 last, theft of €200 from a boy at an Ulster Bank ATM at College Green, Dublin, on March 9 last.

He has also admitted another charge for stealing €200 from a woman at an ATM on Suffolk Street, on March 4 and attempted theft from another woman at an ATM on the same street on March 8 last. None of the stolen money had been recovered.

Judge O’Donnell said the boy’s engagement with the Probation Service had been “hopeless". However, he agreed to a further adjournment, until August, for an up-dated pre-sentence probation report.

Garda Niall O’Reilly, of Pearse Street station had explained that the “teen and an accomplice approached the injured parties and held a magazine in front of the screen after the PIN number had been entered. They distracted them and then took the €200 from the machine unnoticed.”

One of the victims became suspicious afterwards and contacted her bank which told her that a €200 withdrawal had been made. In April the boy was also convicted of stealing €200 from a man at an ATM in the same fashion.

The boy, who was accompanied to court by his mother and sister, was remanded on bail. His bail condition state he has to “stay out of the Dublin 1 and Dublin 2 areas, obey a curfew from 8pm to 8am and to stay away from any ATM.”

“He is part of a group which is involved he is being influence by older people. His mother is failing to control him,” a garda had told the court earlier.

The court had been told that the boy was able to tell from the sounds of the ATM what stage of the transaction the bank card user was at when approached.

Earlier the court had heard a step by step account of how the scam, which involves the use of distraction and sleight of hand, worked.

Step One: A person goes to the ATM, inserts the bank card and then keys in the PIN number.

Step Two: Just then, the person is approached by people who wave a magazine in front of his face and blocks the ATM screen and keypad.

Step Three: While the person is distracted one of them, unseen, presses the button telling the machine withdraw €200. The money pops out and is taken swiftly while the account holder is distracted and oblivious to what is happening.

Step Four: Eventually the thief backs off, the person looks at the screen which reads “transaction completed” but sees no money. A later check of their bank balance shows, however, that €200 has been withdrawn.