61-year-old ATM card scammer arrested

A 61-year-old man was arrested and several suspected stolen ATM cards, along with cash, were recovered in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Thursday.

At approximately 11:46 AM, a woman contacted the Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) Operations Centre seeking assistance. She reported that she was using an ATM at a service station in Verulam when the machine malfunctioned. An elderly man, who had just used the ATM before her, offered to help.

The suspect distracted the 21-year-old victim while he removed her bank card. He then returned to his vehicle and drove off. Realizing she had been scammed, the woman flagged down a passing motorist. They followed the suspect, who was driving a white Toyota Corolla, and contacted RUSA for assistance.

Reaction Officers were dispatched to Inanda Road to intercept the vehicle. They spotted the suspect’s car heading towards the R102 and saw the driver discard the stolen ATM card out of the window before speeding off. RUSA Members pursued and boxed in his vehicle on the R102 between Verulam and Canelands, KZN.

During a search, officers recovered the victim’s ATM card. She positively identified the driver as the person who had distracted her and stolen her property. The suspect admitted during an interview that he specialized in ATM scamming. Several other bank cards and R940 in cash were also found in his possession, believed to be stolen as well.

The KwaMashu resident was arrested and detained at SAPS Verulam.

Must read: Municipality official Lesego Seametso arrested for fraud and corruption worth millions