Weyburn Police Service has received reports "in the thousands" of fraud where the owners of credit cards and debit cards have had their information and privacy compromised.
Weyburn Police Service has received reports "in the thousands" of fraud where the owners of credit cards and debit cards have had their information and privacy compromised.
These frauds are being perpetrated by a group who moves into a community and switches the pin pads that are in businesses with their own.
This is done by distracting an employee long enough to switch the pad, the scam pin pad operates as normal and the business is totally unaware of the switch.
As customers use the pin pad for normal business transaction all of their data is recorded including the PIN numbers.
At some point later the pin pad is again switched with the original pin pad that was taken.
Businesses and consumers are not aware of anything being wrong until they learn that they have been defrauded.
Business operators in the City of Weyburn and surrounding area for that matter are encouraged to have their employees maintain visual contact with the pin pads at all times. The switch can happen in seconds.
Unfortunately, consumers cannot do anything to prevent this from happening and have to rely on the integrity of the business operators.
Consumers are asked to be extra careful of their PIN numbers and cards, do not let them out of your sight. If anyone has become a victim or suspect they may have been a victim of this type of offence they are asked to report it to their nearest police as soon as possible.
