A Durham debit card scam warning is urging residents not to use their bank card for strangers who offer cash in busy parking lots.
Durham Regional Police say two suspects work together in the card-swap scheme. One poses as a customer who claims they cannot use a debit or credit card and asks a passerby to pay for food or another purchase in exchange for cash. The second person poses as a delivery driver or vendor and presents a payment terminal.
How the debit card swap works
Although the two suspects appear not to know each other, police say they are acting together. When the victim enters a personal identification number, the terminal records it and the suspects secretly replace the victim’s debit card with a similar card.
The victim receives the substitute card and may not immediately notice the exchange. Police say the suspects then leave quickly and can withdraw money from the account within minutes using the stolen card and recorded PIN.
The reported approach relies on urgency and a request that may appear harmless. Residents should decline requests to put an unfamiliar person’s transaction on their own card, even when cash is offered in return.
Steps residents can take
Cardholders should keep their card in sight throughout every transaction, shield the keypad while entering a PIN and confirm that the card returned by a terminal is their own. Anyone who believes a card was switched should contact their bank immediately, lock the card if possible and report the incident to police.
Police described the first suspect as a Black woman, about five feet five inches tall and 20 to 30 years old, with a medium build. The second suspect was described as a South Asian man, about five feet five inches tall and 30 to 40 years old, with a medium build, shaved head and full black beard. Descriptions can change and should not replace observation of suspicious conduct.
Anyone who encounters the scheme or has information is asked to contact Durham Regional Police. Anonymous information can be provided through Durham Regional Crime Stoppers.
