How can money be stolen from an ATM without the ATM card?

Question

I have a friend that had money stolen from her bank account thru what looks like ATM transactions. However, both her and her husband have their ATM cards and at no point have they been out of their possession. How can someone steal money out of bank accounts using an ATM when they don't even have the card??

Answer 1

There are several ways this fraud could have occurred.  Someone could have called the financial institution and pretended to be one of the account holders and convinced the bank employee to mail a replacement card to another address.  However, this is plausible only if the bank employee was incompetent, the bank had horrible fraud prevention procedures, or the person calling was a relative or someone else who might have access to one of the account holder's personal identifying information.

Another possibility is that a card reader was used to compromise one of the legitimate debit cards at some point in the past.  The scanned number can be used to create a new card or to purchase items remotely.

In any case, the account holders should immediately notify the bank by telephone and then in writing, sending the notice and any accompanying documentation by certified mail to the address listed on the checking account statement for notices of fraud.  It is very important to document that proper notice was given to the correct address within the required 60-day timeframe.  Otherwise, the bank can claim that the transactions were not fraudulent.

Answer 2

Did someone manufacture a card using their number?  I don't know if that is possible.  Also, if they have the number off of the card, they could make online purchases etc with the number, so if I were them I would close that account and get a new one.  I have never heard of this.

Answer 3

The question is, did your friend and her husband used an ATM recently?

There are people who install an external card reader over the ATM card reader. As the customer makes their transaction, there is a tiny camera in the external card reader that records the customers entering their pin number. That is one way of getting money without the card.

Your friend should contact their bank and notify the fraud department as well issue a new card.