Authorities have issued a warning about a potential widespread ATM scam after a group of thieves stole at least $70,000 from elderly bank account holders on the Upper East Side.
Surveillance footage has identified two men and one woman involved in at least nine similar incidents across various banks, such as Bank of America, Chase Bank, and Citibank, between May 8 and June 26.
The Chase Bank on York Avenue, near 79th Street, has been targeted three times by these fraudsters, according to police.
In one instance, the group managed to steal nearly $24,000 from the account of an 86-year-old woman around 11:30 a.m. on June 19. Additionally, they withdrew $20,000 from a 90-year-old woman’s account on May 14, and $3,000 from an 83-year-old in two separate incidents at the same location.
On June 2, a scheme unfolded where a 71-year-old man was distracted by one of the scammers who struck up a conversation with him right after he made a withdrawal at Chase Bank on East 90th Street. The con artist deftly took his card from the machine while the older man moved to another Chase Bank on Third Avenue near East 106th Street.
There, the thief met another accomplice and attempted to withdraw $5,500, but it was an hour later that the 71-year-old noticed his card was missing, leading to the discovery of over $6,000 charged unauthorized on his account.
In at least one reported case, it appears the fraudster posed as a helpful individual to assist the victim with the ATM before stealing the card.
The scam is part of a broader trend, as police say nine robberies occurred between May and June at various banks. They suspect that additional criminals may also be involved.
Fortunately, none of the elderly victims were harmed during these incidents.
This year, reports of Grand Larceny, including credit card theft, have surged by 5.2% in the precincts covering the Upper East Side compared to last year.
