Three arrested for trying to tamper with ATMs

AMMAN  — Criminal Investigation Department (CID) personnel have arrested two men and one woman of foreign nationalities for attempting to steal money from ATM machines at a bank in Amman by means of duplicating clients' information, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Sunday. 

A security source said the CID received information a few days prior to the incident of "anonymous people planning to tamper with ATM machines by installing devices to copy data from the ATMs".

One of these duplicating devices was seized in central Amman and a CID investigative team was immediately formed to follow up on the issue and find out the circumstances and details of the suspects involved in the incident.

The source added that the team identified the criminal technique used by the suspects, which included the installation of data duplication devices and small cameras on ATMs to copy client data and photograph their secret numbers. Collected information would then be used by the suspects to withdraw cash from the copied account. 

The source highlighted that this criminal tactic is usually carried out by foreigners specifically entering the country for that purpose, noting that similar cases were uncovered in previous years.

According to the source, the CID team arrested two suspects who were staying in an apartment in Amman, where they seized 11 ATM cards, two laptops, duplicating devices, electronic parts, adhesive metal and plastic materials used in the installation of the duplicating devices, as well as a number of small cameras used in the stealing process.

According to Petra, the third suspect attempted to flee the Kingdom but was arrested by CID personnel operating at Queen Alia International Airport before she managed to leave the country. 

Investigations are now ongoing to decide on the transfer of the suspects to the concerned authorities.