It is better not to withdraw your money at any time.
These are messages that are very regularly repeated. And yet, the alerts still do not prevent certain people from being robbed. There are as many scams as there are scammers. While some operate online, others act in person, openly. Never mind the presence of cameras, not even those of a bank.
“Be careful of your credit cards!” : this is the alert message broadcast in recent days. If only the Aveyron gendarmerie communicated on this, vigilance must be required everywhere in France. Because the scenario set up by the scammers can be repeated at any ATM. The military explains that people with bad intentions are lurking around the machines and waiting for an elderly person to come and withdraw money. This is where they next come into play.
According to the gendarmes, the criminals start a discussion with the person to tell them that the distributor is not working and that various manipulations must be carried out. They then make the individual click on the buttons and have them enter their confidential code to “unblock the machine”. Gullible, some let themselves be carried away by this well-rehearsed story.
However, during the discussion, the bank card is stolen. When the person realizes this, the thugs claim that they have been swallowed by the machine. Once the card is in your pocket and the confidential code memorized, thieves can use the payment method.
The thugs don't operate at any time. Saturday afternoons, Sundays and Mondays are preferred. These are simply days when agencies are closed. Despite the presence of cameras, scammers can act without a bank employee being able to intervene. Also, this allows them to quickly make online purchases without the card holder noticing, with the charges only appearing a few days later. This amounts to “several hundred euros” according to the police.
The gendarmes therefore strongly recommend favoring banking establishment opening days (generally from Tuesday morning to Saturday noon) to make cash withdrawals in complete safety. And it's even better to go inside the agency to protect yourself from any mishaps.
