A 15-year-old boy who took part in a slick ATM scam and stole €200 from under the noses of people as they had been withdrawing money has been remanded on bail pending sentence.
Judge Bryan Smyth remanded the teenager, who lives in west Dublin, on bail until June 28th to allow for a pre-sentence probation report and for sentencing on all charges. The bail conditions state that he must "stay out of the Dublin 1 and Dublin 2 areas, obey a curfew from 8pm to 8am and stay away from any ATM".
The Dublin Children's Court yesterday heard a step-by-step account of how the scam, which involves the use of distraction and sleight of hand, worked.
Step one: a person goes to the ATM, inserts the bank card and then keys in the PIN number; step two: just then, the person is approached by people who wave a magazine in front of his face and block the ATM screen and keypad; step three: while the person is distracted, one of them, unseen, presses the button telling the machine to withdraw €200.
The money pops out and is taken swiftly while the account holder is distracted; step four: the thief backs off, the person looks at the screen which reads "transaction completed" but sees no money.
A later check of their bank balance shows, however, that €200 has been withdrawn.
The boy pleaded guilty to the theft of €200 from a boy at an Ulster Bank ATM at College Green, Dublin, on March 9th.
He also admitted another charge of stealing €200 from a woman at an ATM on Suffolk Street on March 4th and attempted theft from another woman at an ATM on the same street on March 8th last.
None of the stolen money had been recovered.
Garda Niall O'Reilly of Pearse Street station said the boy had been arrested after he was recognised on CCTV. The court was told that he was able to tell from the sounds of the ATM what stage of the transaction the bank card user was at when approached.