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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Cashpoint Scam - Green Lanes Santander Cashpoint Near Post Office

I believe I've just been subject to an unsuccessful Cashpoint scam.  
I was stupidly trying to get hold of some cash at 21:45 on a Sunday evening, the Barclays was out of order so I went up the road to the Santander near the post office.  There were some people waiting by the bus stop so I thought it was safe to use the machine.

Having entered my PIN I was about to choose the amount when a young man approached me from the right and held a copy of the SUN newspaper over the screen and started talking to me in a foreign language. I asked him what he was doing and a young lady approached from the left and did the same thing ... this time with the "Ham & High" and pointing oddly to the H in the word Ham.

I asked them both to "Leave me alone" and they continued holding the newspapers closer and closer to my face.  I realised that this was not just two drunk people having a laugh and they were trying to distract me from the machine.  So I asked them both to "F. off whilst I'm trying to drawer some money out" in the hope this would attract attention from the people at the bus stop, pressed the cancel button and promptly dropped my card. They both seemed very careful not to get too close and didn't get in my way when I left but the whole situation was a bit too odd.

I hope nobody else has had a similar occurrence.

Ralph.

Tags for Forum Posts: bank machines, cash machine scam, santander, santander cash machines

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ralph Foster on February 6, 2010 at 17:02
Well it wasn't so much waving as holding them over the cashpoint screen, blocking my view. So at first I couldn't see what was on the screen but as both of them did it and started pointing at various words in the newspaper (as if they were asking me to kindly explain what it said) my focus was no longer on the machine and on them. I believe that as soon as my attention was no longer on the machine (which was when I started shouting at the man) the other typed in £250 and pressed yes to another transaction. It worked because when they parted I thought I was cancelling the card but I think it was just giving me my card back before giving out the money. This is probably why they didn't move off, but of course I left thinking I'd cancelled and as I was walking away it gave up £250, result for them.

I'd advise that if anyone approaches them at a cashpoint to cancel and get the card out as soon as possible. Do not back away like I did.

The strange thing is that I was certain that the machine had told me at the beginning that it only had £20 notes in it........ GO FIGURE?
Permalink Reply by Pat Cadigan on February 4, 2010 at 10:50
One day last year, I stopped at the Barclay's cashpoint on Green Lanes and saw a man in motorcycle helmet and clothes cleaning the screen of the cash machine. He was holding up a long line to do this and afterwards apologized, saying he was the "screen cleaning service". Then he got on his motorcycle and rode away. I went inside and told the Barclay's people about it. They told me they don't employ a screen-cleaning service. I have no idea what that was all about but I figured it was worth reporting.
Permalink Reply by Josephine on March 2, 2011 at 16:12

Something strange just happened to me at the same Santander cashpoint. I put my card in and someone started talking to me. Tried to ignore him, he kept saying machine not working. It was all so fast, I don't think I had put my pin number in. I think he pressed a button and my card came out and he took it. I shouted that he had my card, he gave it back.

I cancelled the card straight away with my bank and am going to report this to Santander. My bank says no transactions were made in the 10 mins or so until I got back home to report it.

He could have tried to run with the card as he had it in his hand but he didn't.

lindsaypPermalink Reply by lindsayp on March 2, 2011 at 17:26

I have the exact same experience at this cashpoint. Luckily I had got out of a cab to get cash and it was waiting at the road for me, the taxi driver having seen what was happening better than I could, jumped out started shouting at the 2 men and told me to get in the cab.

I was a bit confused as to what was going on, but the taxi driver said it is regular haunt for con artists and could not believe that I would even consider using that cashpoint!  This was a few months and I forgot all about it until I saw this post. I most definately will never use that cash point again. Perhaps someone in the bank should be contacted about it?

Permalink Reply by Josephine on March 2, 2011 at 18:26

Thanks Lindsay, I have emailed Santander.

I felt confused too, I guess that's the idea. If I'd had my wits about me I would have shouted to others to stop him and catch him.

I suppose they (there were other blokes with him) hope to get away with your card before you notice? But surely most people would cancel straight away?

Just walking back that way I see how much the cashpoint is used, the bus stop is a good cover for con-artists.

I had a carrier bag of books I was taking to the Marie Curie shop, I put them down next to the cashpoint, the books all fell out, so possibly they saw that and thought I looked disorganised/distracted. Which I was.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Ralph Foster on March 2, 2011 at 19:57
I would recommend checking your balance daily. It was not till a day or so later that the transaction came up. And at the time I was not aware that they had touched the machine at all but they must have done whilst my attention was elsewhere. Please report this to the local police. They were monitoring that cashpoint and I think they were interested in finding out if it was worth setting up some CCTV. As it is well hidden from the road with the bus stop. I stopped using it completely and went on to use the one outside Tescos which is clearer and there is a camera. I am sorry to hear that you were affected also. A similar event happened to me outside the Barclays where an older man came back to the machine after I had started using it claiming it was broken and it had his card. 
Ralph
Permalink Reply by Alison P on March 19, 2011 at 16:50
Just had a run in with two guys who were trying it on with someone using this machine. They threatened us, told us to mind our own business and 'just look after your child'. Be really careful at this machine. I'll let the SNT know.
Permalink Reply by Danzigger on March 19, 2011 at 18:42

Good on you for fronting up to them! 

Let's have a HOL cheer for Alison P!

Permalink Reply by Hugh on March 19, 2011 at 18:58
Yaaaaay for Alison!!
Permalink Reply by John McMullan on March 19, 2011 at 19:10
This is your business because you live here. You don't take parenting advice from your mother-in-law, why should you take it from a couple of strangers scamming people at a cashpoint?

That bus shelter needs to be removed.
Permalink Reply by Alison P on March 20, 2011 at 9:49
Thanks all. We should have called the police straight away apparently. It seems really obvious now but bizarrely it didnt cross our minds at the time.
Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on March 20, 2011 at 10:29

Completely understandable, Alison. As individuals involved in a single incident when we avoid crime, we're unlikely to report it.

One advantage of residents' associations, Safer Neighbourhood Teams, and HoL of course, is that patterns can emerge.

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