Mystery of camera on Offaly bank ATM solved after scam fears

BANK of Ireland has confirmed that a camera which was spotted on an ATM in Tullamore by one eagle eyed customer recently was one of their own.

The customer said he spotted the camera after making a withdrawal at the ATM in O'Connor Square in Tullamore just after 8am.

'It was the light that caught my attention. I ran my hand underneath the top of the ATM and I saw a camera sticking out and pointed towards the card slot.

I contacted the Bank of Ireland and the Gardai. I also put a freeze on my card to be on the safe side,'' said the customer. An 'Out of Service' sign was later posted on the ATM.

A spokesperson for Bank of Ireland said the camera was their own but it had been damaged and dislodged and became visible. The spokesperson said the 'Out of Service' sign was placed on the ATM while it was being repaired. The Bank thanked the customer for his vigilance.

People are constantly told to be on their guard at ATMs and when using their cards, as their information can be stolen through skimming, this is when a device is illegally installed on the machine, point of sale terminals or fuel pumps. These can capture data or record pin numbers. Users can detect these by checking for misaligned or misprinted stickers, or if the card insert slot seems unusually bulky.