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Police announced on Friday that they had arrested two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nationals on suspicion of ‘skimming,’ a type of fraud where criminals copy debit card details to steal money from their victims.
The police reported the arrest of a 40-year-old Trinidadian and a 39-year-old Guyanese after a woman filed a report last week indicating that a large sum of money had been withdrawn from her bank account without her authorization.
According to a statement from her bank, SRD 10,000 (one SRD = US$0.03) had been withdrawn from an ATM in Paramaribo, and a payment of SRD 28,000 had been made with a debit card at an electronics store in the capital.
The woman claimed she did not make these transactions and subsequently reported the issue to the police.
The police later apprehended the two Caribbean nationals and have found evidence suggesting they may be linked to a series of recent debit card fraud cases.
Authorities discovered and confiscated 94 counterfeit debit cards in the suspects’ vehicle. The Fraud Department of the Suriname Police Force is now further investigating the case.
On Thursday, the Surinamese Bankers Association (SBA) issued a warning to citizens, urging them to remain vigilant due to recent cases of debit card fraud.
Additionally, the Suriname Cyber Security Incident Response Team (SURCSIRT) of the Directorate of National Security reported an increase in skimming cases and urged the public to be cautious.
Since last Tuesday, SURCSIRT has received several reports of skimming incidents at ATMs in Paramaribo and is currently conducting a large-scale investigation into these activities with relevant stakeholders. (CMC)
