Nigerians have been warned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to be wary of who they hand their Automated Teller Machine cards to as many have fallen victims to ATM swap fraudsters.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, disclosed that there has been an increase in unauthorised withdrawals from customers’ bank accounts linked to ATM swapping or fraud. He said the fraudsters cashing on card holders’ lack of attentiveness would swap their cards without their knowing.
“They swap the card in such a hurry that the customer would not notice and at the same time memorise the pin used in trying the fake cards.
“These cards get stuck in the machine due to a wrong pin and the fraudster quickly abandons the victim, advising him/her to report to the bank while making away with the victim’s card to make immediate withdrawals from the account.
“This card swapping typically happens in any service delivery point, such as Point of Sale (POS) terminals, and ATM points, among others.
To avoid further financial losses, EFCC advised that ATM cards be kept in sight or in a safe place.
“Regularly checking your bank statements for any unknown transaction, and setting transaction alerts to monitor any activity on your accounts or with your bank card are also vital in stopping the fraudsters.
“You could also cover the keypad with your hand or body when entering your PIN at POS terminals/ATMs and never be in a rush to make payments or withdrawals and request assistance only from officials of the bank.
“Call your banks to block your ATM cards immediately if your cards are stuck in the ATMs or whenever you observe any irregularity.
“Ensure you know your bank’s ATM offline, blocking code and quickly make use of it whenever it is misplaced or stolen.
“Dial the USSD code *966*911# and follow the pop-up instructions to block your ATM card instantly.”
