ATM fraud alert in at Dooradoyle Bank

ATM users in the Dooradoyle area should be checking their bank balances for any discrepancies after it emerged that two men were seen removing a card-skimming device from the front of the Bank of Ireland ATM in Dooradoyle.

The two non-nationals were seen by other ATM users approaching the machine and removing the suspected skimming device and waling away late Sunday evening.

A quick guide to how Card Skimming works,

At its heart the scam is quite easy, even if the technique is complex. The thieves attach a false front to the card reader of the automatic teller (i.e. where you insert your card) that captures your card number and transmits it wirelessly to a criminal waiting in a car nearby. They also strategically place another object - possibly a leaflet holder or something else innocuous - on the machine. Inside is a camera that captures your PIN as you type it in. That's either recorded or also transmitted to the waiting person. You withdraw your money, but the next time you use the machine, there have been a number of transactions, which have left your account empty, because the crooks have had a card made with your number on it, used to take cash and buy goods.

A Garda spokesman said,

“A number of vigilant bank users reported having difficulty retrieving their bank cards after attempting to withdraw cash”

As part of the investigation Gardai at Roxboro are also examining CCTV footage of the area in a bid to identify the two.