An official of one of Nigeria's top banks has alerted the public on the continued attempts by fraudsters to swindle customers through the Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

According to him, on July 21, 2009, a man was arrested in Agbor, Delta State while storing information on his phone from unsuspecting customers waiting to collect money from an ATM machine.

He said: "A man in his mid twenties was seen by our dispatch rider storing information on his phone and trying to assist people on an ATM queue outside a branch. At this point, the dispatch rider stood by and began to observe him."

"After he was convinced the guy must be a criminal, the dispatch rider alerted the chief security officer of the branch and asked him to stand around the suspect. After a bit of assurance, he thereafter collected the suspect's phone and started going through it. When he viewed the dialled call log, there were customers' expiry dates and pin numbers.

"He checked his text messages and in the sent items were card information already sent to a phone number on July 20. At this point, the suspect was brought inside the banking hall, where he made startling revelations about his syndicate."

The suspect (name withheld) claimed he was a third year student of mechanical engineering at the Delta State University. He claimed the syndicate's headquarters is in Ibadan, where the gang leader operates from.

According to the suspect's confessions as provided by the bank official, he "came with another gang member (who is presently at large) from Asaba where they operated the previous day before coming down to Agbor.

The gang leader was to collect information from one bank branch in Agbor, while he (suspect) collected from another bank branch, also in Agbor."

Mode of operation

The gang obtain information from customers while they are on the queue at the ATM. According to the suspect, they "copy this information while customers are on the queue, targeting those that expose their card information.

"After collecting the card number and expiry dates, we will wait for the prey to use the ATM card, viewing from the sideways we can perfectly tell what the customer types in, then we will send the complete information to an accomplice in Ibadan to finish the work," he explained.

According to the bank official, other things found on the suspect were a wrap of Indian hemp, a rundown ATM card, complimentary cards, ten passport photographs, and two GSM phones-with an MTN and a Globacom line.

"Inside his MTN line was a text message which reads: ‘o boy I dey the machine site now, na only 4k dey the account, make I pull am or wait make e mature? Text me back now'.

"There were also other messages about various banks' ATM numbers - United Bank for Africa, First Bank of Nigeria, Oceanic Bank and Zenith Bank. And during the interrogation, so many calls came in from Abuja, Warri, Lagos and Ibadan," he said.

Security tips

The bank official advised costumers to be more careful in handling their cards. "No customer should be allowed to manipulate his phone while on the queue. Customers must not expose their card numbers while on the queue, and they must shield their fingers properly while punching their secret numbers," he said.

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See The youths wasting while the old grumpy old men are enjoying and stealing diplomatically.sad,sad and sad !
@Topic,i used to brush aside 9ja ATM frauds till my mum fell a victim recently.Amazing,she was at Onitsha while her acct was cleared within 6 hrs at lagos