Conmen are targeting ATM machines for this Carnival season.

Banks are seeing an upsurge in the tampering of ATM machines resulting in hundreds of machines across the country shutting down, especially on weekends.

Last weekend, customers at First Citizens Bank, Arima, were unable to make any transaction because the machines were tampered with and causing them not to function.

An official at the bank admitted that there is an ongoing problem with conmen trying to obtain money through fraudulent practices from the ATM machines.

She said when the card is stuck in the ATM, the machine automatically stops functioning and no transaction can be made.

“The only way money can be accessed is if a customer’s pin number is punched in,” she stated.

She also said the bank was experiencing some technical problems over the past week which has led to one of the machines malfunctioning.

Fraud Squad detectives said they have been probing a number of reports from various banks about ATM fraud.

Banks have been warning customers about revealing their pin numbers to unscrupulous people, who wait until their cards are stuck to try and give assistance to retrieve them.

Bandits have also been lurking outside ATM machines at nights waiting for customers to enter.

Customers are now fearful to make any transaction at ATM machines during the night.