An inquiry has been launched after London Underground passengers were targeted by scammers tampering with TfL ticket machines.
Police are investigating reports that thousands of pounds has been stolen from travellers using Oyster Card top-up machines at major Tube stations.
Several suspects have been arrested on suspicion of doctoring the machines to extract people’s card details allowing them to withdraw cash from their accounts without their knowledge.
Étienne Bouvier had nearly £2,000 stolen from his card after using one of top-up machines at Piccadilly Circus this month.
He told Metro he had attempted to load his Oyster Card on October 7 when his debit card was rejected several times by one of the TfL-maintained machines in the ticket hall.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
Bouvier, who was visiting London for three days for work, said the machine wouldn’t accept contactless and eventually had success after switching to another device.
However days later he noticed two cash withdrawals of £800 had been made at an ATM – after he had already left the capital by Eurostar.
Bouvier, from Lille, explained: ‘The day after that I tried to withdraw some cash and I had a notification that I had reached the weekly limit for cash withdrawal with my card, which sounded a bit weird to me because I hadn’t withdrawn any cash for a month maybe.
‘Flash forward to the following Monday and I go to check my bank account and I realise that I’m missing nearly £2,000.’
The two fraudulent transactions were recorded as taking place behind Bow Bell House on Cheapside in the City of London.
He believes his card was secretly copied in a ‘skimming’ fraud, in which fraudsters install hidden devices on machines that accept bank cards such as ATMs and station ticket machines.
Bouvier, who works for a major software company with offices in London, added: ‘It was an area I hadn’t even visited. Somehow the operation I did on that Oyster Card top-up machine was recorded as a cash withdrawal operation in another neighborhood of the city.’
These are then used to create a copy of the card which can then be used to make fraudulent transactions.
Several other passengers have reported a similar scam in which their card details were somehow used to make a withdrawal at an ATM.
Visitors to the capital using foreign bank cards are often required to make a chip-and-pin device transaction to enable contactless payments.
One traveller said on Reddit that £250 had been taken off their card after they did a transaction at Piccadilly Circus.
What is card skimming and how you can tell if a machine has been tampered with?
Card skimming involves fraudsters using discreet scanners fitted to ticket machines to extract bank card details.
The hidden devices pick up a copy of a user’s card while they believe they are making a legitimate transaction.
The imitated card is then used to withdraw money from bank accounts without the holders’ knowledge.
Steps to detect a tampered machine
Always carefully check ATMs, ticket machines another devices which accept bank cards and look especially for any moving or detachable parts.
Another important red flag are unusually tight card slots, which may indicate they have been doctored by scammers with a hidden reader. Be aware for machines which stand out or look different to others.
Be vigilant for keypad covers, which can also be used to record PIN numbers as they are entered.
Use contactless payments where possible and do not attempt to use a machine again if it rejects a valid bank card.
They added the skimming device must have been very discreet as they had not noticed anything at the time.
Another said they had lost £500 from their card following a transaction at St Paul’s station.
While some victims reported being able to recover the money through their banks, Bouvier said his had refused to reimburse the stolen funds, insisting he had failed to adequately protect his card details.
British Transport Police confirmed to Metro that officers were conducting an inquiry into tampered machines at several stations and have arrested several individuals believed to be behind the covert devices.
DI Marvin Bruno said: ‘We’re leading an investigation following recent reports of fraudulent transactions on some ticket machines in London Underground stations.
‘We have already arrested people in connection, and our enquiries into the fraudulent activity are continuing at pace. We continue to work closely with Transport for London and partner agencies to identify those responsible and prevent further offending.’
He added: ‘I would urge passengers in London to remain vigilant when using ticket machines, especially if they function strangely.
‘Anyone who spots anything suspicious or has information that could assist our ongoing investigation can contact us by texting 61016, quoting reference Operation Solent.’
A spokesperson for TfL said: ‘The safety and security of our customers is our top priority, and we take reports of criminal activity on our network extremely seriously.
‘We work closely with the British Transport Police and assist with any investigations where appropriate. We regularly inspect our ticketing equipment across the network and would encourage customers to report anything suspicious to station staff or the police.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@usnewsrank.com.
For more stories like this, check our news page.