Garda alert after

Gardai are warning the public to be on high alert around ATM machines after the latest scam left one Roscommon person down €1,400.

The most recent incident happened at an ATM at The Square, Roscommon town on the evening of May 6 last when a person attempted to withdraw money but the card was never returned to them. The victim left the area shortly afterwards and subsequently discovered the following day that their bank account was minus €1,400.

Sgt Adrian Queeney from Roscommon Garda Station is appealing to people across the county and into the bigger towns like Athlone, to be vigilant around ATM machines as they believe this new type of card trapping device is being moved around regularly.

It appears to be inserted on the slot of the machine and traps the card so that the consumer believes it has been swallowed up by the cash machine and leaves the scene. Shortly afterwards, another person comes and retrieves the card and uses it to take out cash there and then and again after midnight.

It’s quite a sophisticated operation, Sgt Queeney maintains, adding that the user did not see any kind of device visible on the card entry slot when they went to the machine in Roscommon town last week. Some type of camera must also be affixed to the device to get the card’s PIN number too, added Sgt Queeney.

He is encouraging the public to report anything unusual around ATM machines in the locality as soon as possible to their local garda station. Specifically, if a similar incident to the Roscommon town one occurs where a card is not returned, he is advising the public: “Stay at the ATM machine and report it as soon as possible. We also encouraging people to ring us if there is anything anyway suspicious or they have any concerns about a machine and we can check it out”.

Anyone with any suspicions or worries can call Roscommon Garda Station 090 6636300 or Clonark Garda Station 090 6437102.