News

Police seek suspect in ATM jam scam

June 17, 2004

IRVINE, Calif.-Police are looking for a man they believe is responsible for a series of ATM jamming scams in Orange and Los Angeles counties.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the suspect tampers with ATMs, then withdraws money from customers' accounts.

Police Lt. Jeff Love said the man alters the ATM card slot with plastic objects or tape, and when a customer inserts a card, the monitor appears to shut down and the card becomes stuck inside the slot. The man, who, according to another news report, lurks near the machine while pretending to talk on a cell phone, then tells the victim to enter a PIN and press cancel. After watching the customer enter a PIN, he walks away. When the customer leaves the ATM, the thief returns to retrieve the stuck card and withdraws their cash.