“Lebanese Loop”

I learned something new today:

The Lebanese loop involves criminals inserting a card-capturing piece of plastic into the bank machine. When a victim inserts his card it becomes stuck inside the ATM. One of the fraudsters will often then appear and offer to help, watching the customer as he re-types his PIN.

The victim then walks away assuming his card has been “swallowed” — leaving the thief free to recover it and, using the PIN he has just memorised, withdraw as much money as possible.

Hmm, I wonder who invented this technique…