{
  "id": 15799729,
  "title": "How I steal ATM users’ PINs, defraud them – Suspect",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/how-i-steal-atm-users-pins-defraud-them-suspect-15799729",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-20T21:06:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/how-i-steal-atm-users-pins-defraud-them-suspect/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A suspected fraudster has revealed his technique for stealing customers' bank PINs by pretending to help them use automated teller machines in Calabar, Cross River State. The unnamed suspect claimed to target customers who requested assistance at ATM locations, keeping their cards while observing them enter their PINs. The Cross River State Police Command's Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed this arrest on October 6, 2026. The suspect approached customers seeking help, offering to assist them with the ATM. He would disable the card and withhold it, causing customers to believe their card was inside the machine. Once customers initiated a transaction and entered their PIN, the suspect would leave, having obtained the necessary information for fraudulent transactions. The suspect allegedly worked with a getaway driver, whose identity remains unknown. Police urge the public to remain vigilant and avoid sharing their cards or PINs with strangers offering assistance at ATMs.",
  "summary": "A suspected fraudster arrested in Calabar, Cross River State, has explained how he steals bank customers’ PINs by pretending to help them at ATM points. Read More: https://punchng.com/how-i-steal-atm-users-pins-defraud-them-suspect/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "How I steal ATM users’ PINs, defraud them – Suspect",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/how-i-steal-atm-users-pins-defraud-them-suspect",
        "published": "2026-10-20T20:58:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}