Police operatives and troops of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have arrested a four-member syndicate suspected to specialize in Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card swapping.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, on Wednesday in Enugu.
Ndukwe said that the suspects were arrested by police operatives serving in Hawk Tactical Squad together with troops of NAF, Enugu, on May 6 at about 4:30 p.m. in Emene, Enugu.
He said that the suspects included three males and one female, a mother of four.
According to him, the suspects were arrested while escaping to their hideout in Emene, Enugu, after they fraudulently stole the ATM card and Personal Identification Number (PIN) of an unsuspecting 63-year-old male victim.
“This, they did, while pretending to assist a 63-year-old man withdraw money from a commercial Bank ATM along Ogui Road, Enugu.
“Immediately after switching the ATM card, the suspects used the card and PIN to withdraw the total sum of N495,000 from the victim’s account.
“The suspects confessed to the crime, stating that they have carried out many other criminal acts of ATM cards swapping and fraud within Enugu metropolis.
“Four different bank ATM cards, including that of the victim, were recovered from them,” he said.
Ndukwe said that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmed Ammani, commended the joint operatives for bursting and bringing the criminal syndicate to book.
He said that the commissioner had urged bank customers, particularly the elderly and those without proper knowledge of how to use ATM of banks, to exercise caution.
Ndukwe said that the state police boss urged bank customers to seek the assistance of bank staff while using their cards on the ATM machine.
