THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has asked security guards to help them protect the public from fraudsters and scammers using either crude or modern techniques to steal money through withdrawing from anybody’s Automated Teller Machine (ATM) accounts.

PNP Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies director Colonel Marlou Roy V. Alzate said they have asked private security managers to ensure their security guards are aware of the situation.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said illegal techniques like illegally ‘putting glue’ on the ATMs to deliberately capture an ATM card is an old modus operandi which has resurfaced lately.

The official said the scheme was actually brought up during the recent Joint Anti-Bank Robbery Action Committee (JABRAC) meeting at Camp Crame.

When the matter was discussed, the PNP-SOSIA immediately warned the citizenry anew to maintain vigilance on such illegal activity.

“This is not the first time we have heard of this scheme. It actually involves a group of persons, not only limited to female perpetrators and we all should remain vigilant.

To those withdrawing money from their ATM accounts, be sure that the machines are placed in well-lit areas and please don’t share your ATM details to strangers,” Col. Fajardo said.

She also called on ATM holders to check the surroundings for suspicious-looking persons and the ATM machine itself before making a withdrawal.

The JABRAC, through the years, has strengthened its focus in locating ATM fraud syndicates who are responsible for putting skimming devices to ATM machines.

In past cases, these skimming devices were secretly placed in ATMs’ pin pads by rogue European nationals who were eventually arrested, jailed and charged by the police.

Officials said fraudsters and scammers have also become more creative and sophisticated in their attempts to gain access to an ATM card holder’s personal information and financial accounts.

These tactics include illegal installation of malicious hardware such as scanner, camera or keypad overlay or software in ATMs.

The scanner copies information on the debit, credit, or ATM card while the camera captures one’s Personal Identification Number or PIN.

Once copied, hackers create counterfeit cards and gain access to accounts by many people.

These reminders have been repeated again and again in the wake of the presence of some criminals who offer help to a confused ATM card holder having a hard time withdrawing via ATM.

The suspect will also usually ask the user to key in their PIN, memorizing the numbers even as the card remains stuck and then, acting just like a Big Brother or Sister, ask the ATM card holder to just go to the bank to file a complaint.

Once the victim leaves the area, the con artist will then easily retrieve the stuck ATM card and then withdraw money from a different ATM since he already had memorized its PIN.