Skimming incident at bank atm in navan

Gardaí are investigating the discovery of a skimming device on the Bank of Ireland ATM in Navan last week.

A member of the public noticed the device while withdrawing money from the ATM at Market Square and subsequently notified a member of staff.

Bank of Ireland confirmed on Tuesday that it is investigating a 'skimming incident' at its ATM in Navan, which remains one of the most common types of fraud in Ireland.

Criminals copy the magnetic strip on a legitimate debit card through a small handheld device called a 'skimmer' and then use the data captured by these devices to clone and create fake cards that are used to extract cash from accounts and make purchases.

Skimming devices can be fixed to the front of an ATM where customers' card details are copied when they use the facility. Small cameras may also be attached above the ATM to record the customer using their PIN, giving the criminals all the information they need to clone a card.

Bank of Ireland has reassured customers that they will be fully refunded for any losses sustained as a result of criminal activity.

In a statement, Bank of Ireland said: 'We have proactively contacted a small number of customers to confirm the fraud and have issued replacement cards. We will continue to closely monitor the situation, which will also be investigated by the gardaí. We have also cancelled and reissued cards to other customers who used this device to protect them from fraud as their card details may have been compromised.'

As cloned cards can be used fraudulently, despite the original cards remaining in the possession of the customer, all debit and credit card users are advised to check bank statements regularly and remain vigilant when using their cards at retail outlets and at ATMs.

Bank of Ireland has advised all bank customers to keep cards in their sight or possession and, when using the ATM, to always cover the keypad with their free hand to block the view of any hidden camera that may have been installed.

Anyone who notices anything unusual at an ATM, such as a strange device or someone acting suspiciously, should not proceed with their transaction. Any such incident should be reported directly to the bank in question and the gardaí immediately, added Bank of Ireland.