ATM card fraud syndicate smashed
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Police believe to have smashed an automatic teller machine (ATM) card fraud syndicate following the arrest of two men, aged 25 and 41, with the seizure of 48 suspected counterfeit ATM cards today (April 6).

Reports were received from local banks last month that some telephone cards were left inside ATMs while a number of suspicious cash withdrawal transactions were detected.

Officers of the Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB) took over the case for further enquiries and discovered that the telephone cards were encoded with overseas bank accounts and can be used as counterfeit ATM cards. 

After in-depth investigations, Police arrested the suspects at a hotel in Wan Chai this morning. A total of 48 suspected counterfeit ATM cards encoded with overseas bank accounts and cash $215,300 were seized.

The men are still being detained for enquiries.  Investigations by officers of CCB are still underway.

A Police spokesman reminds the public that they should be cautious with their personal identification number when using ATMs and should not disclose their personal data to others.  

Police Report No.3
Issued by PPRB

Ends/Sunday, April 6, 2008 
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