"One suspect watches the victim as they enter their PIN on the ATM keypad. The same suspect drops a 20 dollar bill behind the victim, then taps them on the shoulder to alert them that they appear to have dropped some money. While the victim is retrieving the money, a second suspect quickly removes the ATM card from the machine and replaces it with a counterfeit card that closely resembles the original."
"The victim unknowingly takes the fake card, unaware that their actual bank card has been stolen. According to authorities, the suspects use the stolen card to withdraw thousands of dollars from the victim's account."
A coordinated ATM scam targeting elderly bank customers has been occurring across Southern California for at least a month. The scheme involves two suspects working together: one observes the victim entering their PIN, then drops a twenty-dollar bill behind them and taps their shoulder to redirect attention. While the victim retrieves the money, the second suspect removes the victim's ATM card and replaces it with a counterfeit card that closely resembles the original. The victim unknowingly takes the fake card, unaware their actual bank card has been stolen. Suspects subsequently use the stolen card to withdraw thousands of dollars from victims' accounts. An 83-year-old man was victimized on January 15, with suspects withdrawing money from his account within hours. Police released suspect images and requested public assistance in identifying the perpetrators.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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