Withdrawing money is a routine gesture, but there is one detail that continues to go unnoticed by many users. A movement of seconds at the ATM can make all the difference and prevent cards from being cloned or the PIN code captured by third parties, without the holder realizing it.
In recent months, European police forces, including the Spanish Guardia Civil, have once again warned of increasingly discreet and technological schemes. According to the Spanish newspaper El Periódico, criminals use fake accessories fitted into the ATM slot where cards are inserted, and hidden micro-cameras to collect, at the same time, the data and the secret code.
What has changed and why you should pay attention
In Portugal, the recommendations follow the same line of caution. Authorities advise only inserting cards into ATM terminals located in well-lit, guarded areas or inside establishments. Before inserting the card, you must observe the equipment carefully and protect the keyboard with your hand while entering the PIN. These are simple gestures, but they remain the most effective defense against this type of scam.
According to the same source, banking security experts emphasize that these fraudulent devices are increasingly difficult to detect. Slight changes in color, misaligned bezels, or less firm keyboards can be warning signs. Ignoring them can be expensive.
The sign you should never ignore
There is a situation that deserves special attention: when the operation is considered completed, but the money does not come out. The authorities insist that, in these cases, the box should never be abandoned. In certain variants of the scam, the money is trapped by an accessory placed in the exit slot. If the customer walks away, the fraudster removes the device and collects the bills.
The correct behavior is to remain in the location, immediately contact the bank via the official number and, if possible, request police presence. Every minute counts to avoid definitively losing your money.
Fraud that goes beyond Multibanco
Schemes are not limited to physical terminals. Text and phone scams, known as phishing e wishesin which fraudsters imitate bank pages or call pretending to be employees, asking for urgent codes or confirmations.
The golden rule is simple and transversal: never enter personal or banking details on pages opened via a link, do not validate operations that you did not request and do not share security codes with anyone, whether by SMS, email or call.
What to do if you suspect something
Anyone who suspects an attempted fraud should act without delay. The first step is to contact the bank to block the card and then file a complaint with the authorities, PSP, GNR or Judiciary Police, as applicable.
It is important to write down the time, location and, if possible, the terminal number. A quick reaction can be decisive in minimizing losses.
Portuguese banking institutions remember that official contact is never made via automatic messages or external links. Any attempt to collect data outside the usual channels should be considered suspicious.
Prevention remains the best shield
The good news is that there are simple ways to avoid falling victim to these scams. Covering the keyboard when entering the PIN, choosing terminals in safe locations, being wary of machines with loose or misaligned parts and activating bank transaction alerts are measures that make a difference.
Small gestures, repeated consistently, drastically reduce risk. According to , “security starts with the user”: no matter how sophisticated the surveillance systems are, it is individual attention that closes the door to fraud.
After all, protecting your PIN, changing your cash register or ignoring a suspicious link are decisions that don’t require technology, just seconds of precaution. And those seconds could be worth all the money at stake.
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