There has been an update to the WA EFTPOS card skimming scam reported yesterday, with police now confirming that an amount in excess of $150,000 has been stolen.
As highlighted yesterday, the Major Fraud Squad received substantial information regarding alleged credit/debit card skimming and pin capturing occurring throughout the Perth metropolitan area. It is believed this has been occurring since 5 October 2009 and the majority of the incidents are believed to have been carried out at retail outlets.
Up until now, the extent of the scam has not been known, but it has now been revealed that currently a total of 2500 accounts have been compromised by the fraud.
According to police an amount in excess of $150,000 has been stolen and this amount will steadily increase as more people become aware that their accounts have been unknowingly accessed.
The Major Fraud Squad and Technology Crime Investigation Team are currently investigating this matter further.
Retailers and customers are being urged to report any suspicious activity in relation to EFTPOS transactions to the police immediately. Customers in particular are also being encouraged to check their credit/debit card statements.