The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the country’s central bank, is warning the public as we approach the Christmas season of a new racket victimizing people at ATM outlets inside commercial centers. It exposed the syndicate’s mode of operation as follows:

● A “helpful” suspect tells the ATM customer after completing a transaction that there is money (such as a P500-bill)      still stacked in the machine.
● The suspect requests the victim to make a balance inquiry of his or her account, and stealthily observes the PIN      numbers being punched in, then drops a bill which he claims came out of the ATM.
● The victim busies picking up the money, while the suspect removes the ATM card from the machine and switches it      with another.

The BSP also provided the following preventive tips when using the ATM:

● Shield the keypad. Tell the next person in line to step back, if standing too close. If not in a hurry, allow the other      person to go in first and complete a transaction.
● Always look out for extraneous devices that may be inserted around the slot for inserting the cards in an ATM.
● Keep PIN numbers known only to you.
     Choose a PIN that’s easy to remember, not based on a birthday, anniversary, address or telephone number.
● Make regular PIN changes.
● Avoid using the same PIN on all cards, which may be easier but would allow thieves to access all accounts when      the wallet is stolen. Memorize your PIN, never write it down or keep it in your wallet.
● Report captured cards immediately, preferably at the instant it was captured by the ATM.
     For further information, call the BSP’s Financial Consumer Affairs Group at consumeraffairs@bsp.gov.ph or 523      3631 and 524 7011, local 2584.