ATMs found splashed with black paint

ATMs found splashed with black paint

At least six automated teller machines (ATMs) in different parts of Singapore were found to have been splashed with black paint yesterday.

The ATMs belong to OCBC Bank, United Overseas Bank (UOB) and DBS Bank.

The New Paper understands that some of them are at Circuit Road and the Ubi area.

Chinese evening daily Shin Min Daily News also reported having seen vandalised ATMs at Serangoon and Jalan Sultan.

TNP understands that at least two DBS ATMs were vandalised and three OCBC ATMs were affected.

A DBS spokesman said its affected machines had been cleaned and were back in operation as of yesterday afternoon "to ensure that our customers would not be unduly inconvenienced".

When contacted, a UOB spokesman said in an e-mail that the matter had been reported to the police.

When asked for the number of ATMs affected, their locations and how long service was disrupted, the spokesman replied: "Our branch continues to function as normal and there is little impact on our customers."

She did not name the branch.

OCBC Bank did not respond to queries.

Shin Min reported that police officers were seen securing footage from the security cameras installed at the ATMs.

A police spokesman confirmed reports had been made about vandalism. No one has been arrested and investigations are ongoing, she said.

The last reported case of ATM vandalism was in October last year when an ATM at New Upper Changi Road was splashed with green paint.

A 42-year-old man was charged with loanshark harassment.

ANOTHER INCIDENT

Last August, four men allegedly threw soya sauce at an OCBC ATM in Hougang. They were said to be acting on behalf of a loan shark known as "Batam".

It is not known if the latest acts of vandalism were also linked to loanshark harassment.

Under the law, those guilty of vandalism can be fined up to $2,000 or jailed of up to three years.

They can also receive three to eight strokes of the cane if they had vandalised with paint, tar or other indelible substances, or if it was not their first offence.

First-time offenders of harassment under the Moneylenders Act can be jailed up to five years and fined between $5,000 and $50,000.


This article was first published on May 8, 2015.
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