People should be wary when using bank cards to withdraw cash in public, the Irish Payment Services Organisation (IPSO) warned today.
The IPSO urged people to be on the look-out for robbers attempting to "skim" the details from bank cards to rip off the accounts.
Una Dillon, head of card services at the organisation, said a small number of skimming devices had been found at ATMs recently.
“It is countrywide . . . a handful have been found all over the place, gangs are going to every single town in Ireland,” Ms Dillon said.
“They are operating in groups of 20 or 30, they are quite mobile. They come into the country and leave after raising funds. They are usually travelling on false passports,” she added.
IPSO has confirmed that card-skimming crimes have increased since it first became a serious problem in 2003.
The organisation said the gangs involved in card-skimming were mainly from eastern Europe and often moved in to target particular areas for two-week stints.
Ms Dillon confirmed that one Irish bank had lost €50,000 in a week through this type of fraudulent activity. One man this week reported €600 was removed illegally from his account in south Dublin this week.
All customers who are defrauded at cash machines are compensated by the banks.
PA