Men arrested in Palma for ATM scam

TWO men were arrested for allegedly tampering with ATM’s in Palma. The Romanians, aged 33 and 64, supposedly blocked the money and bank cards of users of the ATM cash machines and then later removed the trapped money and cards.

The blocking device would be installed when the banks were closed and then taken away before the banks opened. In recent weeks there have been 11 reports of people falling victim to ATMs that have been tampered with around Palma.

Most customers attributed the incidents as a computer error and they would claim when the bank opened the following day.

The scam was discovered after a citizen was unable to withdraw money from an ATM on Gran Via Asima de Palma looked closely at the slot where money comes out and could smell glue.

He called a Guardia Civil officer who is a friend of his, who confirmed that the ATM had been tampered with. 

The area was put under surveillance and when the detainees came to remove the device and retrieve the money, they were arrested. Similar devices where found in two other ATM’s, one of which was holding €400.

The detainee’s have a criminal history. Meanwhile, two other Romanians, aged 31 and 25, were arrested in Manacor for alleged tampering with ATM cash machines.

By Nicole Hallett