Take care on the LUAS: spate of pickpocketing

S

Satanta

Registered User
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1,574
Hey,

Just wanted to highlight to all the spate of pickpocketing currently on the LUAS (even higher than normal rates).

With the Christmas rush underway many are taking advantage of the crowding to relieve passengers of wallets and purses. A friend had a purse stolen on the way from Jervis to Heuston and after only a few minutes (time to walk into Heuston, check her handbag to grab her ticket, go to the desk to report the incident and ring the CC company to cancel the card) the card had already been used to purchase a monthly (? not sure of the costs of the Luas tickets, think she said it was around €80 but not 100% on that one) LUAS ticket (huge reasons for LUAS vending machines to be PIN protected, couldn't believe they weren't!).

Two undercover Gardi (gold chains, trackies, etc.) called into Heuston to take her details. Apparently they had spent the whole day on the LUAS watching for this sort of activity.

Please take a little extra care when travelling and be aware of where your valuables are at all times.

Sat.
 
Re: Take care on the LUAS.

The Luas timetable signs also warn about this problem.
 
Re: Take care on the LUAS.

ClubMan said:
The Luas timetable signs also warn about this problem.
Click to expand...
Yup, and while it always in an issue, seems to be far more common coming into the Christmas period (which is a universal problem to be fair).

The fact that stolen credit cards can be used instantly to buy the long term tickets is a big problem. The card in the above example was cancelled within ten minutes, and was still hit for around €80.

Would PIN protection on those machines incur a higher cost or was it just an oversight when the instillation happened?
 
Re: Take care on the LUAS.

On another note, hopefully the Luas does actually have CCTV at their stations so that they can get a picture of the guys using the card and catch them at a later stage. They have it advertised but I dont see any CC cameras at the stations I use. However as the OP states we need to keep an eye out for this ourselves.
 
Re: Take care on the LUAS.

same at tesco's. paid for some goods recently at the self service counter, used my laser card. Was curious as to how it worked....swipe & walk away....thats it!!! I could not believe it.
 
Re: Take care on the LUAS.

eveanne said:
same at tesco's. paid for some goods recently at the self service counter, used my laser card. Was curious as to how it worked....swipe & walk away....thats it!!! I could not believe it.
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Over certain amounts (or possibly just randomly??) they will come and request a signature. Still far from fool proof though.

Had the same conversation with my friend when we were chatting about it.

The time involved to get to Tesco should allow for CC to be cancelled, with the LUAS by the time the call is made, even if spotted straight away, the card could already be used.
 
Re: Take care on the LUAS.

Pin verification certainly would help, but people really should cover their hand when entering the PIN, as these crooks are so good get around so called safer technology!
 
Re: Take care on the LUAS.

Satanta said:
ring the CC company to cancel the card) the card had already been used to purchase a monthly (? not sure of the costs of the Luas tickets, think she said it was around €80 but not 100% on that one) LUAS ticket (huge reasons for LUAS vending machines to be PIN protected, couldn't believe they weren't!).
Click to expand...
She should dispute this transaction with her credit card company on the grounds that she didn't sign or enter a PIN.
 
Re: Take care on the LUAS.

I would be very surprised if the self service checkouts in Tesco are not covered by CCTV. This would make it easy for the store and the Gardai to verify who used the card. The tape could be used by the Gardai to identify the thief in the act of committing the crime.

I watched a TV programme (I think John Stalker presented it) a number of years ago about professional gangs of "dippers" on the London Underground. Young Romanian children were being used by gangs to pick pockets. Because of their age there was nothing the police could do, even when they caught the children in the act. The children were too young to be charged, and could only be taken to the police station where they had to be returned to the care of their parents. On release, they were taken straight back to the tube station where they continued going about their business. Until the children reached a certain age there was absolutely nothing the police could do, then the gang would procure another child, possibly one who was working as an apprentice to the older member, for their work.

Another wheeze, which worked particularly well on the tube, was to take someones wallet. The minute a wallet was taken, it was instantly passed to another member of the gang, who at their leisure could take only one of the CCs from the back of the wallet. The wallet would then be returned to the victims pocket. The victim would find his wallet if he looked for it and a quick check would not reveal that one of his cards waas missing. It gave the gang a much longer time before the card would be stopped or all the credit on it exausted.

"Beware of Pickpocket" signs on the undergroung were also used by the dippers. People reading the sign often subconciously patted the pocket containing their wallet to make sure it was still there. The pickpockets were watching carefully and would follow the mark and relieve him of his wallet.

Many jackets have a button on the inside pocket and people were advised to use the button all the time when they were carrying their wallet in that pocket.


Murt
 
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