‘Why Friday is unsafe for ATM users…’

Some Automated Teller Machine (ATM) users in Lagos have got a rough deal with suspected fraudsters, who lurk around the booths to dispossess them of their money.

They have also perfected the act of plying their nefarious trade, usually at weekends. They forcibly dispossess ATM users of their cards on Friday evenings and make away with the Personal Identification Number (PIN) codes to make withdrawals elsewhere.

This is because banking operations are usually shutdown for the weekend and complaints about stolen cards or ATM deactivation would not be possible until Monday.

According to information gathered, the robbers approach their targets with smiles while carrying out transactions on the ATM. They display their guns and point to their colleagues standing around in case you try to raise the alarm or call for people’s attention.

A victim, who was robbed recently while narrating her ordeal told The Guardian that “ There criminal snatched my three ATM cards and forced me to release my PIN. The sum of N680,000 withdrawn between Friday and Sunday night on all my three accounts.

“They knew that there was no way I could reach my bank to notify them of my encounter at the ATM before Monday. After collecting my ATM cards and confirming that the PIN given to them was not fake, they drove off on a motorcycle with the two accomplices, “she said.

A law enforcement officer, Mr. Solomon Agbedo, advised bank customers to avoid making withdrawals on lonely or less secure environments, especially on weekends to avoid falling into the hands of the criminals and to raise the alarm whenever they notice any suspicious movement.