A suspected fraudster has told the police how he allegedly tricked bank customers at automated teller machine points in Calabar, Cross River State, into revealing their PINs before using the information to defraud them.
The suspect, whose identity was not disclosed, allegedly posed as someone willing to help customers operate ATMs, withheld their cards and watched as they entered their personal identification numbers.
The Cross River State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed the alleged method in a video posted on the command’s Facebook page on Tuesday.
Eitokpah said the suspect was arrested on October 6 over alleged fraud involving unsuspecting ATM users.
In the video, the suspect said he targeted people who appeared to need assistance at ATM points, taking advantage of their trust to obtain access to their banking details.
He explained that he allegedly switched the ATM to cardless transaction mode while keeping the customer’s card, making the person believe the card was still inside the machine.
The suspect said he would then observe as the customer selected a transaction and entered their PIN before leaving the premises.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly memorised the PINs and used the information to facilitate fraudulent transactions. Victims would later discover that their cards were missing and their accounts had been debited.
Eitokpah added that the suspect allegedly worked with a getaway driver who remained at large as of the time of the statement.
The police spokesman said the divisional police officer in the area had been monitoring the suspect and had previously met with bank managers over reported fraudulent activities around ATM points.
The command urged bank customers to exercise caution when using ATMs, warning them against handing their cards to strangers or disclosing their PINs to people offering assistance.
It advised customers who encounter problems at ATM points to seek help through official bank channels and to shield the keypad when entering their PINs.
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