Police detain 3 over alleged ATM fraud in Yobe

The Police Command in Yobe says it has detained three men for allegedly defrauding six Automated Teller Machine (ATM) users in Damaturu.

DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, the command’s Spokesman disclosed this in a statement in Damaturu on Saturday.

According to him, the syndicate was arrested by operatives of the State Intelligent Department (SIB) on Dec. 6 after they defrauded a visibly impaired man of N181, 550.

He said that the six victims allegedly identified the suspects who fraudulently swapped their ATM cards for other cards, and withdrew cash from their bank accounts.

“The suspects, who confessed to their crimes, used a clever tactic to trick unsuspecting customers into revealing their PIN numbers while using ATMs.

“They would offer to assist the customers, then swap their ATM cards for other cards and withdraw cash from their accounts,” Abdulkarim said.

The spokesman said 47 ATM cards, four cell phones, and a Mercedes Benz car were recovered from the suspects.

He said the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Garba Ahmed, had directed detectives to intensify investigation into the crime, calling on the general public to assist the police with credible information.

Abdulkarim also advised the general public to always watch out for suspected individuals whenever they used an ATM and ensure that the machine was in a safe location.

“Use your free hand or a piece of paper to cover the keypad when entering your PIN to prevent others from seeing your PIN.

“Hold onto your card at all times, and never let someone else handle it for you.

“Regularly check your account statements to detect any suspicious transactions and If an ATM looks like it has been tampered with, do not use it.

“Chip-enabled cards are more secure than traditional magnetic stripe cards. Never share your PIN with anyone, and avoid using easily guessable PINs,” he said.