The latest technology has not prevented at least 400 bank customers from falling victim to a skimming scam at a Hamilton money machine.
Customers using the ANZ National Bank's automatic teller machine (ATM) on Ward St on November 13 had their cards' electronic details copied by an electronic reader attached to the machine.
The criminals also kept watch for their pin numbers which they later used to steal cash from their accounts.
The incident happened despite the Ward St machine being fitted with the "jitter" technology designed to protect customers from skimming, the Waikato Times reported.
The security measures already in place may not be able to prevent it happening again, the bank said.
Pushing cards quickly into the machine could hamper the effectiveness of the technology, said National Bank spokeswoman Virginia Stracey-Clitherow.
"Obviously it's an issue, but we're doing our best to educate customers and make sure we protect our customers as best we can."
Up to 400 people used the machine on November 13, a figure Ms Stracey-Clitherow believed was "very contained".
She would not reveal how much money was involved in the scam.
It's the second major ATM skimming incident in the city this year. During April's V8 Supercars a Westpac machine was targeted, with about 20 customers hit. The two men involved in that incident have since been arrested.
Ms Stracey-Clitherow said skimmers needed both the card data and the personal identification number (PIN) to be effective.
The best way for customers to protect themselves was to cover the keypad with their hand when punching in their pin number and not to force their card through the anti-skimming device on the machine.
Ms Stracey-Clitherow said customers affected by the scam had since been issued with new cards and would be reimbursed for their losses.
A Waikato police spokesman said they were yet to receive any official complaints about the incident.
ANZ National and Westpac both use the "jitter"technology, but BNZ and ASB use a "green sleeve" anti-skimming device, which has not been compromised.
NZPA
source: newshub archive
