55 cases reported from beginning of this year until end-September
Police urge customers to be careful while inserting their cards in ATM machines.
Credit card fraud cases has increased recently in Dubai, according to a top official who said they receive complaints from a number of banks in busy areas.
Lt. Col. Abdullah Rashid Abdullah, Director-General of Dubai Police Anti-Commercial Crimes, said they have registered 55 credit card fraud cases from the beginning of this year until end-September and majority of suspects who were involved in such crimes were from East European countries.
He pointed out that to perform such crimes, the suspects mainly use high technique ‘Scmar’, which they place on the side of the whole from where customers insert their cards. He added that they also stick a small sticker that works like a camera on top of ATM machines that can record passwords.
The suspects mainly insert these two parts in the morning and return after a couple of hours to remove it. Then, they go to their residence and download all the numbers of the cards and load them through a special machine on regular cards. Then they use these cards in ATM machines and enter the passwords and withdraw money.
Lt. Col. Abdullah pointed out that when the customers receive a message from their banks notifying him or her about a withdrawal transaction on their accounts, they go back to the banks and then the banks report the incidents to police.
Fortunately, our teams are highly qualified, were able to arrest the suspects. The banks also return the money to victims of such cases.
Lt. Col. Abdullah called on customers to be careful while inserting their cards in ATM machines, and should report to the bank if they notice extra parts hidden on top of ATM screens or on the hole from where they insert cards.
