Urgent scam warning issued after fraudsters target cash machines; Scammers are using dual purpose cash machines to access withdrawals and steal money -people are now asked to be vigilant when using ATMs.
Byline: By, Rachel Pugh & Emma Munbodh & Sonia Sharma
Fraudsters have been targeting cash machines to steal people's money in a new scam.
The criminals are using dual purpose cash machines to access withdrawals.
They trick customers into thinking there's only one box for both withdrawals and deposits by concealing the ATM's withdrawal slot with a plastic cover.
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The customer is then led to believe the cash point is out of service because nothing is dispensed, unaware that there's actually a separate slot for withdrawals.
Once the customer walks away, the criminal then approaches the machine, opens the cover over the correct dispenser and pockets the money.
All the while the customer is oblivious that they have been defrauded, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The trick was first flagged on social media, after a TikTok user filmed himself using a suspicious-looking hole in the wall.
In the video, the customer questions why his money was not dispensed. He then discovers a sign above the ATM that says deposits are currently out of service.
The customer is led to assume the deposit box is the same box that cash is dispensed out of -which is currently out of order.
However, he then discovers a plastic lid on a separate part of the cash machine. He is seen peeling off the plastic cover where his cash can be found.
In the filmed clip, the customer used a Nationwide Building Society cash point, however other banks that include deposit boxes are likely to be affected.
The building society told The Mirror customers should always check for suspicious activity before withdrawing cash in public.
A spokesman said: "The type of incident highlighted in the video, although rare, can happen to ATMs anywhere at any time. Nationwide has a range of measures in place to try and combat these types of scams.
However, as the video also demonstrates, it is important that people remain vigilant and check for any suspicious devices when using ATMs, especially those located outside.
How to stay safe at ATMs
Several more lenders have issued warnings to customers.
Santander said customers should check for suspicious activity before entering their card or PIN number.
"Using a cashpoint is easy, convenient and almost always safe. But sometimes criminals tamper with cash machines to steal your card information...
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