CROSS RIVER STATE POLICE COMMAND PARADES SUSPECT OVER ALLEGED ATM CARD SWAPPING AND FINANCIAL FRAUD SCHEME

Suspect discloses operational tactics involving cardless transaction setups, PIN shoulder-surfing, and immediate card theft across Calabar bank locations

Operatives of the Cross River State Police Command have arrested a suspected fraudster in Calabar for allegedly trapping automated teller machines, surreptitiously acquiring bank customers' Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), and unlawfully withdrawing funds from their accounts.

Parading the suspect before newsmen, the Police Public Relations Officer for the command, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed that the arrest followed multiple complaints from bank customers who reported mysterious account debits shortly after attempting transactions at various terminal points across the state capital.

In a voluntary confession, the suspect explained that he executed the scheme by setting automated teller machines to cardless transaction modes prior to a victim's approach, which trapped the user's payment card inside the reader mechanism while leaving the impression that the machine was functioning normally.

The suspect revealed that while unsuspecting users attempted to complete transactions and entered their secure four-digit PINs, he stood nearby to memorize the codes before taking the trapped payment card, exiting the premises, and utilizing the stolen details to drain the victims' accounts via automated teller machines and point-of-sale terminals.

Emphasizing that multiple stolen payment cards were recovered during the suspect's arrest, ASP Eitokpah advised members of the public to maintain strict vigilance at financial terminals, shield keypads during PIN entry, refuse unverified assistance from strangers, and report lost payment cards immediately to financial institutions for prompt deactivation.