New Tactic To Steal ATM Cards

Police have come upon a new tactic by foreign badhats to steal automated teller machine (ATM) cards at ATM machines around Brickfields.

The gang is made up of two to three men and a woman all in their 30s.

Brickfields police district chief ACP Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid said their tactic was to stand close behind or beside to observe the victim withdrawing money.

"After the victim withdraws the money and begins to take the ATM card, one person will tap the shoulder of the victim and when the victim turns the suspect will tell the victim that his or her money had fallen on the floor. At the same time another person in the group will take the victim's card or switch the card," Wan Abdul Bari told Bernama when contacted here on Tuesday.

He said when the victim turns to look for the so-called money on the floor the suspects would flee and when the victim turns to the ATM machine he or she will find the card missing or would be unaware that the card had been switched with another card.

"When the victim checks the account balance he or she will find that money had been withdrawn from the account," he said.

"We advise people to be alert when withdrawing money especially in this festive season," he said.

Till now there had been four cases in the district.

Meanwhile, police have arrested a 20-year-old man who is believed to have sweet-talked and then stolen from several teenage girls.

According to Wan Abdul Bari the suspect portrays himself as the son of a Tan Sri or Datuk over the Internet and coaxed the victims to go out with him.

"After several meetings, the victims will have confidence in the suspect. At some time the suspect would take the victim out and when she goes to the ladies, the suspect would tell her to leave her bag, laptop and valuables in his car.

"He then takes off with the things," he said.

He said police had seized a laptop, documents, car keys, various SIM cards, pen drives and several personal belongings of victims.

Besides that a police check revealed the suspect's car was a vehicle reported stolen in Kota Damansara.

"The suspect is still under remand and will be brought to court soon," he said.