Man to be charged for disrupting ATM services at 7 locations by placing tissue paper into card slot

A 37-year-old man will be charged in court on Saturday (May 2) for allegedly disrupting key services provided by several Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) at multiple locations across Singapore, the police said in a news release on Friday.

Between April 27 and 29, the police were alerted by a bank to multiple cases of mischief.

They reviewed the bank's closed circuit television (CCTV) footage and found that the man had placed a piece of tissue paper beneath an ATM card before inserting both into the card slot of the ATM.

After withdrawing the card, the left-behind tissue purportedly disrupted the functioning of ATMs along Battery Road, Chinatown, Tanjong Katong, Woodlands, Toa Payoh, Marina Bay and Paya Lebar, resulting in rectification works having to be carried out.

Officers from the Central Police Division identified and arrested the man on Thursday through follow-up investigations and with the aid of CCTV footage. 

If found guilty of committing mischief and thereby causing disruption to key services, he could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined, or both.

The police said that they take a serious view of such acts of mischief and will not hesitate to take firm action against offenders in accordance with the law.

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