The ATM pulled the card? It can be a trap – the thief only needs paper
The ATM can stop the card not through the failure, but through the paper and the false website number-the fraudster with PIN will clean the account.
The method is simple and effective – the thief pushes a piece of paper into the recess (sometimes supported by a sticker), which blocks the card sliding mechanism. After completing the transaction, the device “eats” plastic, the customer only sees a message about the detained card and seeks help. On the screen or housing of the ATM there is often a telephone number for the website – but he does not always belong to the authorized service technician. The fraudster can stick your own sticker with a false number in advance.
Fraudsters attack
The course of the attack usually looks similar. The injured calls under the number given on the machine and after a while the “service technician” arrives. In fact, he is a criminal who explains that the card “got stuck in the mechanism” and will ask for personal data and PIN – allegedly needed to unlock. The victim, convinced that she cooperates with a technical support worker, reveals confidential information. As a result, a thief with access to a PIN and data can perform quick payment operations and lead to emptying the account.
Not every situation, when the ATM does not reflect the card, it is a script scenario – there are real failures. However, in the case of plastic stops, special caution should be exercised. You must not provide PIN or other sensitive data to anyone who claims that he came “help”. A real bank service technician will never request a full PIN.
What to do?
How to behave? First of all, keep calm and not choose a number from the sticker if you can avoid it. Contact directly with the bank, to which the ATM belongs, using the official contact channels (bank website, mobile application, card number). When an ATM is not owned by any bank, it is worth finding the device operator’s number on its official website. If you are not possible to recover the card immediately, block the card – most of the banking applications allow it quickly. The blocked card becomes useless for a person who in the meantime obtained his data.
To sum up: when the ATM “pulls” the card, let’s be aware of the possibility of fraud. Let’s not share a PIN or personal data with people claiming to be a service technician. The fastest defense is contact with the official bank and immediate card lock.
