BajaNomad

What is this ATM scam?

TSThornton - 1-23-2023 at 10:35 AM

My wife went to use an ATM in a bank in Cabo last week. A guy came into the room with her and stood at the next machine but didn't do any business at the machine. As soon as my wife completed her transaction and retrieved her pesos and card and turned to leave, the guy quickly moved to her machine and then called her back saying "You have to put your card back in and enter your phone number" claiming to be doing her a service helping her to comply with this requirement. The screen was in fact prompting her to do this. She called BS on the guy, hit the cancel buttons several times, and left.

Nothing bad happened but the annoyance, but what was the guy doing and did he somehow manipulate the machine?

Lee - 1-23-2023 at 11:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by TSThornton  
My wife went to use an ATM in a bank in Cabo last week. A guy came into the room with her and stood at the next machine but didn't do any business at the machine. As soon as my wife completed her transaction and retrieved her pesos and card and turned to leave, the guy quickly moved to her machine and then called her back saying "You have to put your card back in and enter your phone number" claiming to be doing her a service helping her to comply with this requirement. The screen was in fact prompting her to do this. She called BS on the guy, hit the cancel buttons several times, and left.

Nothing bad happened but the annoyance, but what was the guy doing and did he somehow manipulate the machine?


Looks like a scam. If ''account'' looked OK, then OK. Might notify CC people you're in MX and describe the encounter.

I wouldn't accept help from anyone around a ATM machine.

Calling BS was a good thing.

RFClark - 1-24-2023 at 06:34 AM

We use Bank Norte to withdraw Pesos from a US account. We have never seen a screen requesting our phone number or any number except the pin code for the card.

When our US bank contacts us it’s through our cellphone or by email never through the Mexican ATM.

There are warnings around most ATMs not to let anyone offer to “help” you.