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A Rotorua woman had her account emptied of more than $1000 after falling victim to card skimming - one of at least eight reported incidents in Rotorua in the past few days.
The woman, who did not want to be named, said her heart "just hit the floor" when she discovered her account was left with just $2 in it - and $1070 had been withdrawn in two transactions from Waihi.
She is one of eight people who have reported fraudulent transactions to Rotorua police - a number which area prevention manager Inspector Stu Nightingale described as "very unusual".
The woman said she was shocked by the skimming.
"I never thought something like this would happen in Rotorua."
She said the bank had been amazing, and the money was back in her account before she even got off the phone to them, but that didn't stop the initial panic.
The woman said she wanted to raise an awareness and said people had already come out of the woodwork saying they too had been affected.
She discovered the skimming when she went to check her bank account and all the bills were fine - only to discover a balance of just $2.
"My heart just hit the floor."
The woman said she quickly rang her partner to see if his wallet had been stolen, and the pair were shocked to discover they both had their Eftpos cards.
"We thought how could someone get out money without our Eftpos card."
She described the time waiting on the phone to the bank as a horrible wait.
"It was 42 minutes of panicking."
She believed her details had been stolen through an ATM she had used - and said it had put her off using ATMs in the future.
Mr Nightingale confirmed he was aware of an increase in fraud involving people's cards and said police were investigating.
He said the spike was around the central North Island.
Mr Nightingale said they were still trying to determine what exactly was happening and how.
Mr Nightingale said it was "very unusual" for this type of activity in new Zealand.
"It is sometimes linked to overseas offenders who come over and do a spate."
Mr Nightingale said he wasn't aware yet of how exactly how the money was being stolen and if it was a skimming device on ATM machines or by other means.
Mr Nightingale said there had been eight reports to Rotorua police of cards being fraudulently used in places like Paeroa, Ngatea and Waihi.
He said in his two-and-a-half years in Rotorua police, it was the first time he had heard of card skimming happening locally.
New Zealand Bankers' Association chief executive Karen Scott-Howman said people should always take care when entering PIN numbers at ATMs.
"Criminals can skim your card details by attaching a device to the card reader, and then record your PIN. They might use a hidden camera to record your PIN, or even look over your shoulder. Once they have your card details and PIN, they can access your accounts."
She said the same applied when entering PIN numbers at a payment terminal in a shop or bar.
"Whenever you're entering your PIN, shield the PIN pad with your other hand. Don't be shy about covering up. It's a simple way of foiling the fraudsters."
She said it was always important to protect access to bank accounts.
"Never tell anyone your PIN or password, not even the police, bank staff, friends or family. Your bank will never ask you to reveal your PIN or password."