PNP to elderly: Beware of Glue Ladies

[Lee]

Quote

 

MANILA, Philippines — A criminal gang composed mostly of women is preying on senior citizens making cash withdrawals from automated teller machines.

The modus operandi of the group, according to the Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (SOSIA) of the Philippine National Police, involves inserting a thin ruler – with glue on it – usually made of plastic, fiber glass or steel in the cash dispenser to trap the cash coming out of the machine. A victim, after failing to get cash from the ATM machine, would leave thinking there was just a technical glitch.

After the victim has left, a member of the gang – called Glue Ladies by the police –would pull out the ruler, with cash already sticking on it.

SOSIA chief Col. Marlou Roy Alzate said another tack is to put glue on the command keypads to prevent a client from completing a transaction. They would also put adhesive in the card slot to capture the ATM card.

The strategy aims to leave the victim confused as whether to cancel or carry on with the transaction.

“As this happens, the perpetrator who aptly acts as if she is the next in line will offer help in retrieving the card,” Alzate said.

The suspect will then convince the victim to punch her personal identification number and memorize the PIN. After the client’s several attempts fail, the perpetrator would then ask the victim to seek assistance from a bank employee or security guard.

“When the client leaves, the perpetrator will quickly retrieve the card and run away with it. She then withdraws all the money in another ATM machine,” he said.

The scammers also masquerade as employees of banks offering to assist depositors.

 The suspects would volunteer to deposit the money of unsuspecting victims, particularly senior citizens, with the bank teller.

“When the victim becomes busy doing the necessary filling up of the deposit forms or slips, the perpetrator will take the money or switch it with a similar-looking envelope and leave the bank immediately,” Alzate said.

Alzate ordered private security service providers, security guards and their units to conduct an information drive to prevent people from becoming victims of the syndicate

 

 

PNP to elderly: Beware of Glue Ladies (msn.com)

[hk blues]

8 hours ago, Lee said:

 

PNP to elderly: Beware of Glue Ladies (msn.com)

The whole thing seems so fanciful and 'amatuer' - amazing that anyone falls for it. Also, from my experience,  almost all ATMs have a guard standing a few feet away so how come they don't get involved? 

Don't doubt it's happened but do doubt it's common.

[Gator]

2 hours ago, hk blues said:

The whole thing seems so fanciful and 'amatuer' - amazing that anyone falls for it. Also, from my experience,  almost all ATMs have a guard standing a few feet away so how come they don't get involved? 

Don't doubt it's happened but do doubt it's common.

I agree. Probably not very common, but you never know. At the banks, yes there are guards, but there’s quite a few ATM’s where there’s no guards. Many malls have them scattered about without any guards and easy for a bad actor to slip away. Even though there are many surveillance cams, it’s pretty easy for someone to change their appearance; especially a woman wearing a wig.

[GeoffH]

1 hour ago, Gator said:

I agree. Probably not very common, but you never know. At the banks, yes there are guards, but there’s quite a few ATM’s where there’s no guards. Many malls have them scattered about without any guards and easy for a bad actor to slip away. Even though there are many surveillance cams, it’s pretty easy for someone to change their appearance; especially a woman wearing a wig.

There are ATM machines at 4 locations around our local mall, only one has a security guard in line of site.

And here

[hk blues]

17 hours ago, GeoffH said:

There are ATM machines at 4 locations around our local mall, only one has a security guard in line of site.

And here

In our local mall there are half a dozen + ATM locations - 2 are located in BDO banks, 2 are right next to SM department store entrances where there are guards, 1 is in the travellers rest area with a guard and there are a bank of them situated right next to a guardhouse.  There is 1 other which, whilst in a busy thoroughfare in the mall, but without a guard in sight.  More or less the same in Robinson's Mall as well.  That said, I'm not saying those guards are dedicated to and  tasked with looking after the ATMs but they are in close proximity.