RCMP are warning Red Deer businesses that there may be a couple of debit machine scam artists at work.
Last Friday, police were called after a pair of men were reported making suspicious cold calls to local businesses in the 43rd Street and 54th Avenue area.
Business owners said that two men dressed in suits walked in and pitched lower rates for debit machines.
As part of their presentation, they asked to handle the businesses’ debit card machines.
The ploy did not work in any of the cases. The two men are described as Asian and East Indian and spoke in broken English.
Police say they aren’t sure the men were up to no good, but want to remind businesses not to let their debit machines out of their sight.
It only takes a short time for scammers to attach a magnetic strip to machines to capture clients’ banking information and personal identification numbers.
Businesses should also check their debit machines regularly, looking for wires, loose pieces or other evidence of tampering.
ATMS can also be tampered with in a similar way.
Machine users should check that the card insertion slot is solid and can’t be jiggled or feels loose. If something seems amiss, report it to the business.
Scammers have attached fake card slots into machines in some cases to steal client information.
Anyone with information on this possible scam is asked to call RCMP at 403-343-5575 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or go online at www.tipsubmit.com.