Fake ATM causes real damage
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![The photo released on Monday, June 21, 2010, shows a fake ATM installed in Beijing's Xuanwu District. [Photo: Beijing Times]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20100621/000802ab80120d89317811.jpg "The photo released on Monday, June 21, 2010, shows a fake ATM installed in Beijing's Xuanwu District. [Photo: Beijing Times]") |
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The photo released on Monday, June 21, 2010, shows a fake ATM installed in Beijing's Xuanwu District. [Beijing Times] |
Some Beijing residents have recently fallen victim to a new kind of fraud involving fake ATMs, the Beijing Times reports.
Thieves have used the fake cash machine to collected vital information from inserted credit cards, including bank account numbers and passwords. They then have withdrawn money from victims' accounts after duplicating their credit cards.
The fake ATMs bear shocking resemblance to real ones. One such machine was found on West Guanganmenwai Street in Beijing's Xuanwu District. Installed in a glass booth, the machine displayed the logos of various financial institutions. There also were some other indications that made the ATM appear to be a legitimate one.
A local resident surnamed Ma became a victim of the scam when he tried to check his bank account balance on the machine last week. The ATM gave him a "Service Unavailable" response. Four days later, he discovered that 5,000 yuan, or 733 US dollars, had disappeared from his account.
The police reacted quickly when they received the report and arrested a suspect who confessed to the theft on Sunday.
