Suspected fraudster has explained how he allegedly stole bank customers’ PINs by pretending to help them operate automated teller machines in Calabar, Cross River State.
Though his identity was not disclosed in a statement by the Cross River State Police Command, the suspect said he targeted customers who needed assistance at ATM points, withheld their cards and observed them entering their PINs before leaving the premises.
Cross River State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed this in a video uploaded to the command’s Facebook page on Tuesday.
Eitokpah said the suspect was arrested on October 6, 2026, over alleged fraud involving unsuspecting ATM users.
Explaining the alleged method, the suspect said he approached customers who appeared to need help and exploited their willingness to trust him.
He said: “I do go to the ATM machine to lie in wait for gullible customers who believe whatever I may tell them, and people that seek for help too.
“So, if you call for help or assistance from me, what I do is I put the ATM on the cardless transaction mode and withhold your card. You’ll be thinking your card is inside, but your card is not inside.
“And you’ll choose a transaction which you want to perform. It’s either withdrawal or transfer or inquiry. By the time you click on any of them, ask you to put your password, to put your password, and confirm your password, I will leave the premises.”