Kinross gran loses savings to card thieves

May 14 2010 by Johnathon Menzies, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THIEVES are using hi-tech equipment to steal funds from Big County residents’ bank accounts – before transferring the cash to the Middle East.

In one incident, a 63-year-old grandmother withdrew money from the RBS hole-in-the-wall in Kinross High Street on May 1.

The woman, who asked not to be named, explained yesterday: “The next time I used a cash machine a message came up saying there was ‘insufficient funds’.

Worried

“When I asked about it at my local Bank of Scotland branch they said that £320 had turned up in an account held with a bank in Oman.

“The staff at my local branch were really helpful and I’ve got my money back, but I was really worried at the time.

“It’s a good job I took out my holiday money before it happened, or I might’ve lost that too.”

The incidents followed two card-reading machines being detected in Perth.

A ‘skimmer’ attached to Santander’s High Street branch was active from 4pm on April 24 until 9.30am on April 26.

Another was placed at RBS’s auto teller off South Street at the St John’s Shopping Centre on April 26 until 4.10pm the next day.

A Perth mum also contacted the PA after her teenage daughter had £900 removed from her Nationwide savings account in three ‘skims’ at the end of last month.

The youngster has since had her money returned.

Graham Mott, a spokesman for UK cash machine operators LINK, said the hi-tech devices obtain “limited information” from cash cards.

He continued: “They take information contained within the magnetic strip, like the card number and the account’s expiry date.

“The machines can’t read the security code on the back of the card – which you need to purchase things on the internet – or the PIN number.

“PIN numbers are usually taken through using a small spy camera or through someone looking over a person’s shoulder when they’re using an ATM.

“Thieves have to create a fake card and use it outwith western Europe in order to get any money.”

Mr Mott said anyone who had lost money was entitled to a refund – as long as they can prove interference.

Crime

A spokesman for Tayside Police said the force was working hard to apprehend those responsible, but confirmed that “no progress” had been made.

He added: “This type of crime is normally perpetrated by people travelling through an area, possibly from overseas.

“People have contacted us to say they have had their card skimmed, but the majority of people go straight to their banks.

“We’re not aware of anything suspicious occurring in the Kinross area.

“Once anyone affected gets their money back they tend not to report the incident to the police, but I would encourage them to as, obviously, it’s still a crime.”