Insights

RBPF warn of increased credit and debit card fraud

On 21 August, the US Embassy in Nassau issued updated travel advice for the Bahamas, advising that the “Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) recently issued an advisory following a series of incidents in which eighty-six people reported approximately $72,000 in credit and debit card fraud this summer in the Downtown and Palmdale areas of Nassau. Perpetrators of this fraud use a variety of techniques to capture card data for sale or unauthorized use. The RBPF reported individuals installing card skimmers on ATM machines to record card data. These fake overlays on the card intake slot in conjunction with pinhole cameras to record PINs capture information which is then used to produce counterfeit cards with genuine data. The overlays vary in quality, some are easy to detect others are much more sophisticated.

If you encounter an ATM from which the intake slot overlay is easily detached or movable do not use the ATM and notify RBPF (dial '911' or '999'). If it is safe to do so, take a discreet picture of the suspicious overlay for RBPF but do not attempt to remove it. Actively self-monitor all credit and debit card transactions online or through your issuing institution’s mobile app. The key to identifying the location of the fraud is prompt reporting of suspicious transactions."