The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has apprehended twin brothers, Obike David and Obike Stanley, who are notorious for stealing money from bank customers after swapping their ATM cards.
The suspects who loiter around ATM stands in the FCT pretend to assist unsuspecting ATM users, swap their cards during the process and proceed to withdraw their money.
The suspects also loiter around ATM stands in the FCT, offering assistance to unsuspecting users.
During this process, they would swap the victims’ cards and subsequently withdraw their money
Speaking while being paraded on Wednesday in Abuja, David said, “We normally go to the ATM. If we find somebody that we know who doesn’t know how to operate the machine and needs help, we attend to them.
“We press cardless for him and ask him to slot his card. If he slots his card, we ask him to enter his PIN. If he enters the PIN of his ATM card, then we press proceed for him.
“It will not show cancel. We tell him that your card has been swallowed. Go and report to the security that your card has been swallowed. As the person goes, we eject the card and go away with it.”
Narrating how they were arrested, David said they were caught after an ATM user raised the alarm after noticing his card was changed.
He said, “We were caught because the person who tried to collect his card on that day was smart. Which day was that? It’s been up to two weeks.
“The person noticed that the card I slotted for him was not his. So, he raised the alarm and we were arrested.”
Stanley said he joined his brother in the crime after he lost his job at a local construction company.
He said in the last six months they realised about N700,000 from withdrawing money from people’s accounts.
Stanley said, “I just started. I joined him after I lost my job. I was formerly a plumber at a local construction company. It was through my twin brother that I learnt this act.
“The way we operate is that if we went to a gallery then we would look for somebody that does not know how to operate the ATM.
“Then we would put it on cardless. We would ask the person to slot his or her card. When you slot it, once you put it, it will show on the screen then press proceed. It will say unable to complete or transaction cancelled. It will tell you that your card has been swallowed and that you should go and meet the security.
“I’ve been on it now for six months. All I’ve realized so far I think it’s around N700,000.”
He, however, urged the banks to put measures in place to check those coming for withdrawals at the ATM galleries.
“My advice to the banks is that they should be watchful for those coming to make withdrawals from their ATMs,” Stanley said.
