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ATM crimes at the Utica/EP Banco Popular — Brooklynian

ATM crimes at the Utica/EP Banco Popular

whynot_31
whynot_31
edited November -1 in Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens

These folks are a little smarter than your typical thieves...

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Police are asking for assistance from the public as they attempt to locate an unknown group of criminals who have tricked people into letting them withdraw from ATMs at a Brooklyn bank.

The thieves have been using a method called “shoulder surfing,” police explained Wednesday.

A suspect walks into an ATM lobby and waits for a victim to come in and dip his or her card into an ATM. The suspect then creates a distraction and guides the victim to use an adjacent ATM, with the victim not realizing the ATM he or she was initially going to use is already activated, police said.

The suspect then waits a few seconds, walks up to the first ATM, and looks over his shoulder to watch the victim enter a PIN number. The suspect then enters the victim’s PIN number on the first ATM and takes money out of the victim’s account, police said.

Three incidents occurred last month at the Banco Popular at 1117 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.

The first incident happened at 5:46 p.m., and the second at 5:50 p.m., on March 20. The third happened at 3:57 p.m. on March 24, police said.

Police have not released a description of any of the offenders, nor specified how many are involved, but they have released a surveillance video from the bank.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers, at (800) 577-TIPS, log onto the Crime Stoppers Web site, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/04/24/police-thieves-tricked-atm-users-stole-from-accounts-at-brooklyn-bank/

Comments

  • newguy88
    newguy88

    Ugh, I dislike blaming the victim but the conman would have to get pretty darn close to you for this scam to work. If someone gets that darn close to you at the ATM and tries to get you to use another ATM your probably best off just leaving. I'm constantly surprised by people who walk right into an ATM lobby when someone else is just milling about. Be careful and smart people! However banks really need to step up their ATM security.

  • ribbons
    ribbons

    I think you would have to be pretty stupid on several levels to fall for this one.

  • dac545
    dac545

    What is the distraction and how do they guide the person to another ATM? I really don't see how anyone who isn't senile, tranquilized or totally drunk can fall for this...

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    After the person put his card in (but before he entered his PIN), I would state:

    "Hey, that ATM is whack! It shorted me $40. Use the other one"

    Having gained the victim's trust, I would then watch them enter their PIN at the other machine.

    Then, I would enter the PIN in machine 1, after s/he left the vestibule, but before the machine became inactive.

    Would this work?

  • homeowner
    homeowner

    I bet dollars to donuts most of the victims have been elderly.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    Yes, I would pick elderly people.

    ...I would also dress professionally, to look as not threatening as possible.

  • dac545
    dac545

    You are probably right about the trick and the elderly targets.

    I was picturing hiring a marching band to enter the vestibule, play a victorious song and announce that the (elderly) customer is the 1,000,000th ATM user and that they may now use the gold plated ATM in the opposite corner. Foolproof!

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    Someday, I would love to hire a marching band for ANY purpose. ...even this one.

  • pitmama
    pitmama

    I go to a different bank in the neighborhood, but on numerous occasions I've had elderly strangers ask me for help with using the ATM. Once a man (who had difficulty seeing) handed me his card, told me his PIN number and asked me to make multiple transactions for him...he had A LOT of money in his account and was really lucky that I'm an honest person. So I can definitely see how it would be easy to distract, redirect and then look over the shoulder of some of the neighborhood's older resident.

  • walkathon
    walkathon

    I always check the lobby of the ATM before I enter any information and if I see anyone from The Brooklynian milling about I immediately run out.

  • vaportrail
    vaportrail

    FYI- this is a photo if a different Banco Popular. The photo is of 539 Eastern Parkway (Nostrand). The crimes have taken place at the bank at Eastern & Utica.

  • vaportrail
    vaportrail

    Ditto for the title of this thread.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    You are correct! In response, I've changed the title and the picture from the Banco Popular on Nostrand to the one on Utica.

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