Warning -HSBC ATM LL this morning 1st July

[Alan Medic]

Having entered my details at the ATM on the right and requested cash, the card struggled to exit the machine. It was eventually retained. It may have been just a fault with the machine but what was strange was that a complete stranger seemed to be aware of a method of getting my card back by using an unusual procedure of pressing certain buttons three times followed by my pin number. This didn't work and I was silly to try it given he was standing over my shoulder. I've cancelled the card with my own bank and phoned HSBC to advise them. I don't know if the machine has been tampered with or if it's a genuine fault. I guess I never will.

[StraferJack]

Good shout Alan - that was completely a con artist and sounds like he had tampered with the machine beforehand

Have you let the bank know about the machine in question?

[Alan Medic]

I did SJ as mentioned in my OP. Thought I'd try to include all the details to avoid the dreaded multiple posting syndrome ;-)

[StraferJack]

hah hah - very good

my humble apologies

:-$

[ianr]

Have a look at this thread and those it links to: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,602783,611625#msg-611625

If it was a 'Lebanese loop, the 'helpful bystander' was after your pin, for use after they'd retrieved the card for themselves.

[Alan Medic]

Just to add, in case the fellow tries this 'technique' again, that he had a Polish sounding accent (to me, though I'm not an expert of accents from Eastern Europe). He was possibly 30,average height/build, not clean shaven and smoked. It might just trigger an alarm bell if it should happen to you.

[Wombat]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> Just to add, in case the fellow tries this

> 'technique' again, that he had a Polish sounding

> accent (to me, though I'm not an expert of accents

> from Eastern Europe). He was possibly 30,average

> height/build, not clean shaven and smoked. It

> might just trigger an alarm bell if it should

> happen to you.

I'd put money on it being a Romanian accent....

[karter]

Could have been a genuine fella just trying to help out though..

[Loz]

karter Wrote:

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> Could have been a genuine fella just trying to

> help out though..

Since he asked the OP to "press certain buttons three times followed by my pin number", then I'd be pretty certain he wasn't there by chance.

[ianr]

[deleted]

[DonGee]

On Tuesday night / wednesday morning I went to the Barclays machine about 2.30am and my card struggle to exit the machine also however I managed to pull it out grab my cash and go, but I did notice a couple guys and a woman of Eastern Europian appearance hanging around the cash points. They didn't appear to be drawing cash. When i got back in my car they had crossed the road and were standing outside the barbers opposite Adventure, smoking and hanging about. I wonder if they were setting the machines up for people that would use them the following morning.

[Jeremy]

Wombat Wrote:

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> I'd put money on it being a Romanian accent....

Well that's just charming.

[Nicholas Spears]

The police have often suggested many of the people involved in these cashpoint crimes are Romanian...from a Guardian report some years ago 'Police say many of those targeting ATMs in this way are Romanian criminal gangs'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2004/nov/11/creditcards.crime?INTCMP=SRCH

[Damian H]

I remember not too long ago when a pair of Romanian gypsy women were walking into the shops on LL attempting to buy very small items with ?50 notes. They were turned away in a couple of shops and when I followed them out of one and was ringing the police on my mobile they saw me and quickly scarpered on a bus.

Whilst it is not useful to racially stereotype, nor is it sensible to ignore a pattern.

[Alan Medic]

@ Damian

How did you know they were Romanian and why were you ringing the police?

[granadaland]

what have the Romanians ever done for us...?

[Alan Medic]

They invented swimming.

[Salsaboy]

And ATM frauds.

[DulwichGreener]

>

[PN33]

This has happened to me at the same cash machine, although I didn't get a stranger come and 'help' me. Fortunately, somebody I was with knew what the scam is and if you pull the plastic around where you put your card in, you'll probably find that there's a fascia on there that you didn't notice, which has got 2 flaps going into the ATM and a hook, which prevents your card from coming out.

In my case, there was nobody looking over my shoulder so it can't have been an attempt to get a pin number. There were however a few guys stood about 2 metres behind smoking and chatting and not seemingly waiting for the cash machine. The scam is clearly for the victim to presume that the machine has swallowed their card, so walk away. Then the scammer can remove the fascia, and out will come your card and the cash you requested.

I tried to tell the police around LL at the time but it was the night that the guy from Hamlets was murdered so understandably they weren't too bothered!

[Jeremy]

Can you usually remove the dummy fascia by hand, or do you need some sort of tool to prise it away?

[PN33]

By hand. It was just attached with glue

[Damian H]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> @ Damian

>

> How did you know they were Romanian and why were

> you ringing the police?

They were dressed in Romanian gypsy ethnic clothing and had Romanian colouring and features and a large sign around their necks saying "I am ROmanian". Two of the afore-mentioned statements are true.

I was ringing the police because they had been goingfrom shop to shop on LL attempting to make small purchases for which they wanted to pay with a ?50 note. The shopkeeper of one shop I was in refused to accept the note and told me she thought it looked hookey.

Do you ever tire of being a troll?

[Damian H]

Damian H Wrote:

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> Alan Medic Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > @ Damian

> >

> > How did you know they were Romanian and why

> were

> > you ringing the police?

>

>

> They were dressed in Romanian gypsy ethnic

> clothing and had Romanian colouring and features

> and a large sign around their necks saying "I am

> ROmanian". Two of the afore-mentioned statements

> are true.

>

> I was ringing the police because they had been

> goingfrom shop to shop on LL attempting to make

> small purchases for which they wanted to pay with

> a ?50 note. The shopkeeper of one shop I was in

> refused to accept the note and told me she thought

> it looked hookey.

>

> Do you ever tire of being a troll?

Oh, I just realised I failed to join all the dots for Alan.

Passing off counterfeit currency is a criminal offence and I thought my suspicions warranted the police being notified. If they had turned up in time and found the notes to be authentic - well and good. If they found these ladies in possession of dodgy notes - they could have been arrested. Make sense?

[njc97]

Damian - presumably you meant Romany gypsy, rather than Romanian?