Police in Fife are hoping to curb escalating cases of bank card crime by raising awareness of the high-tech methods used by criminals at cash machines across the region.
Stealing bank details from right under people’s noses is understood to be on the rise in Fife, with a number of cash machines being targeted by organised criminals who install equipment on them to steal both the card number and the personal identification number to obtain cash.
The underhand technique involves a “skimmer” device being mounted to the front of the card slot, so when a card is inserted the device reads the information on the card and transmits it wirelessly to criminals nearby.
A wireless camera is also usually discreetly attached to the machine, giving the criminals a good look at the numbers being typed into the keypad.
The camera can be disguised to look like a leaflet holder or a normal part of the machine’s fascia.
With ever more people coming forward to report money being taken from their accounts, Fife Constabulary recently joined forces with the Kingdom Shopping Centre in Glenrothes to raise awareness of card skimming and the various pieces of equipment used by criminal gangs.
A display consisting of a mock cash machine, along with different types of skimming and recording devices was placed in Lyon Square, while a demonstration also allowed members of the public to see how the devices are attached to the machines.
PC Stephen Fleming, the Kingdom Centre’s sponsored police officer, said the crime results in substantial monetary loss to the bank, loss of customer confidence in the bank and in the use of cash machines.
“The message we are promoting here is that members of the public should be vigilant when using ATMs and be aware of the possibility that they could have been tampered with,” he said.
“Do not be afraid to check the machine before using it. If you are in any doubt, do not use it and contact the bank or the police immediately.”
More than 500 shoppers viewed the display of the cash machine and one shopper, Robert Gibb, from Glenrothes, was glad he took part in the event.
“I thought this was a good display and showed me the dangers and what can happen,” he said. “I will be more observant in future, now I know what to look for.”