
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, May 29, 1994                   TAG: 9405290085
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

CHESTERFIELD POLICE WARN OF ATM SCAM

Chesterfield County police are warning residents to beware of a scam in which a con artist rigs automatic teller machines to swallow victims' bank cards, then uses the cards to steal from their accounts.

Three people have fallen prey to the scam in the last two weeks, Sgt. James T. Nowlin said.

Nowlin said the suspect tampers with the machine so it will not release the card holder's bank card. The thief then walks up to suggest that when the same thing happened to him, he was able to retrieve his card by entering his personal identification number.

The thief watches the card holder enter the number and when the card remains in the machine, he suggests that the card holder contact the bank the next business day. After the card holder leaves, the thief extracts the card and then uses the PIN to withdraw money from machines, Nowlin said.

All three incidents were committed before the weekend, allowing the thief use of the card through Sunday before a bank is alerted.

Nowlin would not release the name of the bank where the thefts occurred.

by CNB