Huancayo criminals use new card-swapping tactic to empty accounts

A new variation of the ‘cambiazo’ (card swapping) theft technique has been reported in Huancayo, Peru. Criminals are using a coordinated tactic to empty bank accounts by distracting victims and intentionally blocking their cards.

In a recent incident at a Multired ATM in Huamanmarca Plaza, a woman reported losing S/ 1,120. According to the victim, a man exiting the ATM pretended to have left a card behind, then offered to help her when the machine rejected her card. While he handled her card, a second woman in line provided instructions on which buttons to press, likely observing her PIN. The victim later discovered her card had been blocked, allowing the perpetrators to access her funds.