Beware of ATM Scam Targeting Seniors in New York City

NEW YORK — New York City Police warn of a type of ATM scam in the five boroughs where seniors are targeted.

According to the uniformed, the scam begins when the suspects address the elderly and distract them by initially showing an act of kindness.

So how does the scam work?

It is quite simple – the targeted victim will go to an ATM lobby and insert their bank card. After entering your PIN, a stranger will approach you from behind and place a couple of dollar bills on the ground. The scammer will then tap them on the shoulder, informing them that they apparently dropped some money.

When the victim goes downstairs to collect the cash, the scammer breaks into the ATM and changes the bank card for a dummy card, the New York Police said. They will then take that card and use it elsewhere, thus stealing the victim’s money.

Victim cases

“I’ve never been scammed in my life. I consider myself a terribly young 75-year-old. I never thought something like this could happen to me,” said Mark, who was a victim of the scam.

Mark is far from alone and spoke to our sister network NBC New York by phone in an effort to warn other residents of the city.

“I put my card in and I hit my code. Just as I hit my code, I get a tap on my left side, I turn, there’s a guy standing there, he points down and says that’s your money,” Mark said.

So far, there have possibly been more than 40 victims, according to police.

How to protect yourself

The NYPD is trying to get the word out about the plan, so people start watching each other’s backs while at the ATM. The 19th precinct has been working to sound the alarm, even creating a public service announcement to show how crime is taking place.

New York Police Deputy Inspector Bill Gallagher says crime teams are professionals who target elderly victims.

“That’s your grandfather, your grandmother, somebody on a fixed income, and they literally come in and take this money, and they’re particularly targeting the most vulnerable people in our city,” Gallagher said.

NYPD Deputy Inspector Brian Eng says “highly organized and coordinated” teams are traveling to the city from other parts of the country just to target older New Yorkers.

“They’re well-oiled like a NASCAR team. They communicate through headsets or Bluetooth devices with phones. They know exactly what their role is,” Eng said. “The distractor or the card swapper or the spotter because they need the PIN numbers of the victim”.

Eng added that the department has seen groups of 2 to 4 people, made up of both men and women.

“It’s absolutely infuriating and we really need the public’s help. We want to catch these people as soon as possible because they are inflicting tremendous trauma on the most vulnerable people in our city,” Gallagher said.

The wanted suspects have been swindling thousands of dollars from unsuspecting victims like Mark, victims claim.

“They took $1,700 out of my ATM. And believe it or not, $7,000 right out of the ATM,” Mark said. “I felt extremely vulnerable. Boy, if it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone.”

Police said the scam has been on the rise in recent weeks and usually occurs during the day. Anyone with information about the scheme is urged to contact the police.