Thousands of euro have been stolen from bank accounts over Christmas after a sophisticated ATM fraud in Killarney, Co Kerry, in mid-December.
Gardaí in the tourist town yesterday confirmed that some €4,000 has been removed from the bank accounts of a small number of people.
A number of fraudulent transactions also took place at machines in the Lucan and Clondalkin areas of Dublin between December 22nd and 24th.
Gardaí have now asked users of the ATM machine outside the Tesco store at Beech Road, Killarney on or before December 15th to check their accounts.
It is feared that devices to obtain bank account information may also have been used on another ATM machine in the town around the same period.
Gardaí believe the information obtained in Killarney was used to produce false bank cards.
At least 16 unauthorised withdrawals have been made from information obtained illegally from the machine.
The fraudsters used a false cover and a hidden camera to obtain card numbers and personal identification numbers (Pin). Gardaí believe the information was relayed to a laptop nearby.
The scam was unearthed after a local man became suspicious when it took longer than usual for his card to be returned to him during a lunchtime transaction on December 15th.
He alerted gardaí, who then discovered the false cover and camera.
The seized equipment is being examined forensically.
Yesterday Det Sgt Pat Sears of Killarney urged users of all ATMs in the town to check their accounts to see if money had been falsely withdrawn.
This is because of the fear that false devices may have been used on one other Killarney ATM around the same period. The AIB bank in Killarney contacted up to 100 account holders, but the illegal withdrawals were made from a variety of banks, not just AIB.
Gangs are suspected to be operating sophisticated ATM scams nationwide.
CCTV footage of the machines in Dublin is also being examined.