ATM fraud hits T&T

(Trinidad Express) Customers at commercial banks across the country have been targeted by technologically well-equipped thieves.
As a result, a number of bank branches have faced a new sophisticated form of debit and credit card fraud.
Using an illegal process called “skimming”, con artistes have used well-hidden cameras to capture the personal identification numbers (PINs) of customers’ debit and credit cards as they use them at automatic teller machines (ATMs) at several bank branches across the country.
The Bankers Association of Trinidad and Tobago confirmed yesterday that fraudsters captured personal information from customers’ cards to access their bank accounts over the past few days.
The Association, which comprises eight banks operating in the country, said in a statement that it became “aware of fraudulent activity at certain” ATMs over the last few days.
When the banks became aware that fraudsters had targeted customers, the Association said it blocked the affected customers’ cards to safeguard them from thieves who wanted the money in their accounts.
Banks later received complaints from affected customers who said they were unable to access their accounts at ATMs and had problems making purchases at point-of-sale terminals.
In an interview with TV6 News last night, Bankers Association president Richard Young dispelled widespread speculation that the system which controls the ATMs was hacked.
“Well, let me first of all clarify that no bank systems have been hacked into. What has happened is that debit cards, certain debit cards, have been skimmed, and by that I mean they have made an electronic copy of the debit card and they were able, through very ingenious placement of cameras, to get a copy or see the PIN of those cards,” Young said.
Young said the culprits would then make an electronic copy of the debit cards and access targeted bank accounts using the PINs they captured.
He said only a small number of banking customers have been affected by the debit card fraud.
“We haven’t shut down any ATM systems. What we have done is that we have identified the cards we believe may have been tampered and we have disabled those cards. So it means the customers, or the holders of those cards, would not be able to access their bank accounts using those cards, whether it is through the ATM or LINX (debit point-of-sale transactions),” Young said.
He further said: “Some people will find that when they go to the ATM, the card is being sort of kept by the machine, retained by the machine, or they just can’t use their card because it has been made non-functional.”
Young said the perception that debit cards were not subject to the kind of skimming which has occurred in the past with credit cards was always a myth.
“We have been able to identify where the compromise may have taken place…and through the technology, we have been able to find it,” he said.
Pressed for further details on the source of the new debit card fraud, Young said the banks were aware of how it was being done but could not divulge any details.
“When we’re dealing with stuff like that, I prefer not to divulge that information…. You know, it’s an industry issue because that’s the whole world of technology and interconnectivity. It really doesn’t matter which bank it first took place because people use other banks’ ATMs, etc,” he said.
He said as a result of the situation, those targeted by the debit card fraud may have their cards captured at ATMs as a precaution.
Young said the banks were trying to reach all affected customers by telephone.
He said the banks are co-operating with the police.
Through Crime Stoppers, the banks plan to release photographs of people,Young said, banking customers should “be careful with”.
One bank customer who was affected told the Express yesterday that he used his card at a Scotiabank ATM at St Mary’s Junction, Freeport, last week.
The man, who did not want to be identified, realised his funds were missing when he attempted to use his card later in the week and his transaction was declined.
He said he went to the bank to file a complaint and was informed he was not the first to make such a report.
He said he was told that reimbursement would take up to 30 days but because of the nature of the situation, the bank fast-tracked his request and re-credited his account almost immediately.
Scotiabank said yesterday that customers whose cards have been rendered inactive can visit the Scotiabank branch on Chaguanas Main Road or Southern Main Road in Couva today between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to have their Scotiabank debit cards replaced.
State bank First Citizens also said it will open its Couva branch from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today to “issue replacement cards to customers affected by the recent reported incidents of card-skimming”.