Abu Dhabi: Four men have been arrested for allegedly being involved in ATM machine fraud, Saudi police said.
The men, a Saudi and three illegal Yemeni residents in their 40s and 50s, allegedly defrauded unsuspecting labrourers of their money while they were making cash withdrawals from ATMs, said Lieutenant Colonel Hussain Al Qahtani, spokesperson for Medina police.
Offering to help the victims, the suspects allegedly replaced their cards after obtaining confidential data, then made cash withdrawals and purchases, Police seized in their possession 21 ATM cards. The value of the purchases carried out through the stolen cards was 48,500 riyals.
The suspects were referred to the Public Prosecution pending further investigation and trial, Lieutenant Colonel Al Qahtani said.
Police advised members of the public not to reveal their pin numbers or accept help from strangers. “A bank customer who meets any problem with an ATM machine should call the number posted on the machine,” he said.
They warned people to stay alert of similar ATM attacks, where criminals physically take cards.
Scammers often work in teams and they rely on distraction to catch their victims out, police warned.
Police advise it’s a good idea not to use cash machines near a group of people who are inexplicably loitering.
Saudi Arabia’s Monetary Authority (SAMA) has also warned bank customers not to fall victim to financial scams engineered by scammers.
The warning comes after SAMA, the central bank, found out that a number of fraudulent calls and text messages are being sent by unknown entities and persons with an ulterior motive to gain access to personal information or banking data of customers.
Scammers impersonating bank officials use phone numbers or electronic links that do not belong to any bank or financial institution. These gangs also resort to phishing, sending emails and text messages to customers, which appear to be from a bank, seeking their login details.
Under Saudi law, financial fraud and breach of trust carry a penalty of up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to SR5 million.
