Attempted card fraud last night

[PN33]

Along the theme of a night of crime in Dulwich, something very odd occurred last night at the cash machine just past the Co-Op on Lordship Lane. My friend went to take some cash out, and the machine would not return his card... it kept flashing as ATMs do when they're trying to give it back, but it was seemingly stuck.

Turns out there was quite a clever little device on the ATM, which fits in front of the card machine slot and allows cards to go in but not come back out. Fortunately my mate was aware of these things and ripped it off, but it is worrying that their intention was obviously for someone less savvy to just accept that the card had been swallowed and walk off, then they'd obviously remove the device and wait for your cash and card. The freakiest thing about it was knowing that for their scam to work they must have been close by watching us, bar stewards!

[ianr]

Barclays? Cf http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,602783,602811 and http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,568535,573505.

[PN33]

no not Barclays, it was sort of attached to the Co-Op.... you know there is 3 machines before you get to Barclays?

[ianr]

HSBC then. The scammers are branching out.

[djfitz]

Unlikely related (but I'll stir things up anyway;) )

The machine at the Sainsbury's Local up at the Plough has been out of order, saying: "We are unable to return your card" with frightening regularity. Practically every time I've been up there for the last week to get cash it's said it.

Is this a fraud issue or are customers inserting cards coated with jam or other delicious doughnut fillings?

The people have a right to know!

[paul32A]

I don't like doughnuts!

[LordLaneship]

Not even Krispy Kremes? I like a good stuffing of custard.

[paul32A]

Nope, not even those. I like scotch eggs instead.

[LordLaneship]

Mini eggs rock!

[ClareC]

Ive noticed that!! Annoying as have to go to Lloyds - not far but a hassle getting across the road! Or pop in for cash back and spend ?40 on stuff you didn't know you needed ;-)

[paul32A]

It is annoying ClareC not as annoying as sainos being closed on a Saturday morning when you want to buy some jumbo scotch eggs though, is it??

[dazeykat]

The Post office next to Sainsburys Local has a cash machine, no need to cross the road to Lloyds.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Last weekend the Sainsbury's, the Lloyd's and the post office cashies up that way were all borked.

The costcutter opposite the library has one as well which I remembered just in time - charges the usual hefty ?1.75 or so mind you

[ClaireClaire]

Wrt the cash machine outside the Sainsbury's Local up by the Plough

As far as I know, they had a break-in several weeks ago, and I gather the cash machine was damaged in the process.

They seemed to repair the brickwork around it or something, but the cash machine itself has not been working since the break-in.

[paul32A]

I SAID:

I don't like doughnuts.

[louisiana]

According to one of the traders, Sainbury's at the Plough has been hit twice recently (not once).

There's also been a theft or attempted theft of cash box from a trader who was going to the bank.

And several attempts to break in to another shop, with intruder on last occasion trying to disable CCTV by cutting through cables to the building...

The verdict from one trader is that since Sainsbury's Local has opened attention seems to have been drawn to the area (more people about but unfortunately less trade for the traders other than Sainsbury's) and in their view there's been a sharp upswing in offences or attempted offences (including attacks on the cash machine).