A gang has been accused of stealing more than €153,000 after peering over victims’ shoulders and watching them type in PIN codes at cashpoint machines.
The suspects -- three women and a man from Bosnia -- were arrested on February 26 in Brive-la-Gaillarde (Corrèze), and are now in police custody in Quimper, Brittany, reports FranceInfo.
Belle affaire de Shoulder Surfing par l'OCLDI - BR Quimper
— Gendarmerie du Finistère (@Gendarmerie_029) March 2, 2023
Bande organisée internationale
4 interpellations
Plusieurs centaines de vols et escroqueries
Des victimes âgées en moyenne de 77 ans
➡️ 4 mandats de dépôt
➡️ 153 000€ de préjudice
➡️ Saisie de 12 000€ pic.twitter.com/atMrD6BKOO
They are set to appear before the court on April 7 in connection with the alleged crimes, which took place in France and across several other European countries.
The practice has been dubbed ‘shoulder surfing’. Criminals watch the PIN codes being entered, steal the bankcards and then use them to withdraw money.
Suspicion spread after 35 people reported similar incidents, including 19 in Brittany, and 16 in the Grand Ouest region. All said they had had their card stolen after doing a supermarket shop.
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