A man in Guelph has been accused of devising a clever scheme to steal money from automated banking machines by using “cash traps” that diverted customers’ withdrawals. This fraudulent method involved installing devices that mimicked the dispenser doors, trapping the withdrawn cash for the criminals to collect later.
Police were alerted to the situation in late June when an ATM technician reported multiple malfunctioning machines. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the cash traps had been discreetly placed on several ATMs in the city, leading to the theft of at least $4,400 from six different banks.
Following their inquiries, authorities arrested a 52-year-old man without a fixed address, charging him with nine counts of theft under $5,000 and other offenses.
