Although it´s not the first time this scam has appeared, the Guardia Civil is warning over the reappearance of a method used by thieves to rob innocent victims at cash machines (ATMs), nicknamed the “Lebanese Loop”.
The method normally involves the thieves sticking a small bar across the money outlet slot of the cash machine. When an innocent victim requests a cash withdrawal, the money comes out and rolls up against the obstruction. The victim assumes there is a fault with the machine and so leaves in order to report it, at which point the thieves return, remove the bar and take the cash lodged behind.
The corps is advising cash machine users to be alert for the scam, and if you suspect this has happened, call 062 and do not leave the machine. Special attention must be paid to ATMs located in the centre of cities and in areas with a large influx of tourists, where criminals prowl in search of victims.
