Police say that the card copiers were installed at the Käpylä Musta Pekka K-Market outlet, while the devices had been concealed in the yellow card reader slot in a cash dispenser at the Viiki Prisma department store.

The financial and property crimes unit of the Helsinki police is investigating the cases as payment fraud. This week, the perpetrators behind the scam used card holder information gathered from the copying devices to withdraw thousands of euros from the card holders’ bank accounts.

The fraudsters are said to have gleaned only bank card data – to date there is no indication that they have also got their hands on the card holders’ credit card information.

Banks to Offset Losses

Police are calling on members of the public who may have used the compromised cash point machines to check their bank account activity and to report any suspicious withdrawals from their accounts.

Card holders who are unsure about whether or not their accounts have been breached should also inform the police, as the officers can liaise with the banks to help clarify the matter. The banks will reimburse card holders for any funds stolen as a result of the scam.

Police are cautioning bank card users to conceal their transactions with their free hand to prevent others from attaining and misusing their bank information and pass codes.

The authorities are also calling on the public to report any suspicious cash machines to emergency centres and to cash point customer service contacts.

Police have so far made no headway in apprehending the card copying con artists.