Expats In Spain Warned Over New ATM Scam

Expats as well as tourists are now being warned over a new cash machine scam.

Expatriates living, working and retiring in Spain are being warned to watch out for a new card-cloning device found on ATM machines across the country. Known as a ‘skimmer’, the device is placed over the ATM’s existing card reader slot and copies the details of each card inserted by means of accessing the magnetic stripe. Once the card owner’s details have been recorded, criminals can access all personal banking details including account details and the pin number used to withdraw money.

Spanish police have now published a list of tips for members of the public who use ATMs on a regular basis as well as for tourists visiting the country. The skimmers themselves come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are deliberately designed to blend in with the cash point’s card reader slots and other hardware. One social media example showed a green plastic fake card slot which fitted neatly over the original slot in the machine. The current warnings are being given a short time after another alert about valueless foreign coins resembling the one euro coin being given to expats and tourists in change.

Last month, the Policia Nacional posted tips on ATM safety on Facebook, giving a number of suggestions for those who regularly use cash points for their day-to-day spending. The instructions included checking for skimmers placed on the machine by pulling on the area containing the card slot and checking as to whether it is loose. Police also recommended using only ATMs set in well-lit areas, covering the keyboard when entering the pin number and never accepting help from a stranger when attempting to use a cash machine.