Watch: Alleged ‘ATM scammer’ beaten-up by furious Pretoria locals

Some very rough justice was served up earlier this week, when a man thought to be behind a supposed ATM scam was caught in the act by an infuriated group of Nedbank customers. Security guards were forced to intervene as the situation escalated dramatically inside a Pretoria mall.

Alleged ATM scammer slapped about by angered locals

The video clip has gone viral, dominating the trends on both Tik Tok and Twitter. Although police officials are still investigating claims that the man in question was behind any criminal activity, that didn’t stop members of the public getting physical with the suspect after believing that he was tampering with the ATM outside of the bank.

From the footage, we can only see the aftermath of his alleged crime: Fists start flying, but only a few moderate slaps actually make contact with the so-called scammer.The suspect is pinned in the corner, grabbed by the neck, and subjected to a torrent of verbal abuse before two security guards come in to calm the flashpoint.

Watch: ‘ATM scammer’ beaten-up by crowd in Pretoria

Suspected ATM scammer beaten up in Sunnyside Pretoria. pic.twitter.com/QkKxCO1fs7

— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) September 2, 2020

How ATM scammers operate in South Africa

ATM scammers have a various number of methods they employ to capture card details and defraud those who use their targeted cashpoints. From planting recording devices in the machines to hunting in pairs and stealing cards, these criminals are no mugs when it comes to pulling off an effective robbery.

Digital financial crimes in South Africa have been prevalent over the past decade. Card skimming and online fraud have proved to be two of the most popular methods of theft, with South Africans losing millions to these operations each year. You can hardly blame the crowd for getting confrontational with the suspect in Pretoria, given that their hard-earned cash is at stake. SAPS are still probing the matter on Thursday.