AN ATM user has been tricked out of thousands in the blink of an eye after an elaborate scam.
Don was fooled into thinking his credit card got stuck in an ATM by a scammer who pretended to be helpful.
The scammer convinced Don, from Massachusetts, that they were helping him with his stuck card, but switched it out for a fake one, ABC affiliate WCVB reported.
The ATM was located in an isolated spot in a parking lot which made Don more susceptible.
“I think it might have been my ATM card was getting stuck, and he came over and he offered help,” Don said.
The scammer used Don’s card to make multiple withdrawals that totaled $12,000, WCVB reported.
“I guess you have to be very, very vigilant, and of course, I thought I was,” Don said.
SIMILAR INCIDENT
Don was not alone as the same trick was used on another woman who used an isolated ATM in Boston.
Megan Bates said a stranger approached her to help when her card got stuck in the ATM, per WCVB.
This is when a scammer switched out her credit card.
Bate’s bank account was eventually drained of $12,000 as well.
Don and Bates admitted they never thought someone would scam them this way so it didn’t even cross their mind in the moment.
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Both of the victims used Bank of America ATMs.
“I fell for it. I don’t know why I fell for it,” Bates said.
“I never realized what was going on, and I guess she didn’t either,” Don added.
It was concluded by Robert Siciliano, an identity theft and cybersecurity expert that the scheme Don and Bates experienced was part of an organized crime ring that specializes in doing so.
Siciliano explained that the scammer most likely used a skimmer device to make the credit cards get stuck and record their debit card PINs, per WCVB.
What is a skimmer device?
A skimmer device is a fraud tool designed to steal sensitive information from credit or debit cards during transactions.
- Imagine a skimmer device as a sneaky thief that hides on ATMs or card machines.
- Its job is to secretly steal your credit or debit card information when you use it for a transaction.
- These devices are like tiny spies that can copy your card details, including the card number and PIN, without you even realizing it.
- Skimmers can be cleverly disguised to look just like the regular card reader, making them hard to spot.
- Once they have your information, bad guys can use it to make fake cards or buy things without your permission, causing a lot of trouble and stress.
- It’s important to always be cautious and check for anything unusual on card machines before using them to protect yourself from these sneaky devices.
Skimmers can be placed over a real ATM and have the ability to record information from a card placed in the device.
“There’s no question about it, this is part of an organized crime ring,” Siciliano told WCVB.
Bates received a refund from Bank of America and Don is waiting to see if his gets approved, per WCVB.
Police are investigating both incidents, but they are unclear if they are connected.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Bank of America for comment.