New York Irish immigrants lose thousands of dollars in ATM scam

Larger Text

Print

E-mail

4 Comments

Tweet

An ATM scam in the Woodlawn and Yonkers area has stolen money from hundreds of Irish people.

Thieves skimmed several ATM machines in the Woodlawn/Yonkers area by using a device that steals ATM card and pin information.

Marion Leahy first noticed her account was missing $1,000 on Saturday, April 17.

A call to the Bank of America customer helpline told her she used her card in the Plaza Hotel in Hollywood a few days earlier.

“I’m in New York,” she quickly informed the teller.

“But your actual card was used,” they said.

She repeated her whereabouts and assured them she had her ATM card in her possession.

It was only when Moriarty, originally from Co. Cork, posted her bad luck on Facebook that she realized she wasn’t alone.

An ATM scam in Woodlawn and Yonkers snared New York Irish victims

On Monday and Tuesday there were queues out the door at the Katonah Avenue branch of Bank of America.

Marie Flavin Brouder, a Kerry native living in the U.S, was duped out of $730.

She had heard of friends being scammed and decided to check her own account. She soon discovered she was also a victim.

“I was a little shocked that it actually did happen to me. I was hearing all the stories going around and was getting text messages and said I better go and check my account online and boom, there it was! Gone,” Flavin Brouder told the Irish Voice on Monday.

Money was removed from her account in Manhattan and in Brooklyn.
After discovering the missing money she immediately called Bank of America and cancelled her card.

“They said they will reimburse the amounts and that I wasn't responsible for the money withdrawn,” she said.

The reimbursement will take a few days.

Although usually satisfied with the service of Bank of America, Flavin Brouder said if more evidence of this kind of fraud in the future surfaces she might consider changing banks.

A Co. Roscommon man, who asked not to be identified, was none too pleased with the “inconvenience” of having money “stolen from me “ on Tuesday morning.

Although he didn’t divulge how much money was actually taken from his account he said it was “a lot more than $1,000.”

Money was removed from his account in Manhattan and Queens over several transactions during the weekend.

Print

E-mail

Tweet