Police apprehend ATM fraud syndicate in Yobe, recover 48 cards

A criminal ring that was scamming ATM users throughout the state has been successfully smashed by the Yobe State Police Command.
Three suspects were arrested by State Intelligence Department personnel on Friday: Sani Kasim, 35; Nura Umaru, 24; and Umar Suleman, 22.
The suspects, who admitted to their role, worked by seeming to be helpful in order to trick ATM consumers into disclosing their PINs.
After that, they would stealthily change the victims’ ATM cards and take money out of their accounts.

DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, the State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the arrests in a press release on Saturday. The release also detailed the recovery of a Mercedes-Benz vehicles, four cell phones, and 47 ATM cards from the suspects.

The culprits have been identified by six victims, including a visually handicapped person who lost N181,550.

Garba Ahmed, the commissioner of police for Yobe State, has responded to the operation by giving detectives instructions to keep trying to capture more of the syndicate’s fugitive members.

In addition to stressing the state’s zero-tolerance attitude for illegal activity, he asked citizens to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity and to report it.

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The police released a number of safety guidelines for ATM users to help them avoid becoming victims of similar scams in an effort to protect the public:

Be Aware: When using an ATM, stay vigilant at all times and keep an eye out for anyone acting strangely nearby.
Select Secure Locations: Make use of ATMs in places that are well-lit and secure, like inside bank branches or reputable business establishments.

Cover Your PIN: To keep others from seeing your PIN, cover the keypad with your hand or a piece of paper as you enter it.

Protect Your Card: Keep your card in your possession at all times and don’t let anybody else handle it.

Users can greatly lower their risk of being victims of ATM fraud by taking these easy safeguards.