Orange County Sheriff's Department warns against distraction theft crimes involving ATMs

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (KABC) -- The Orange County Sheriff's Department is sounding the alarm on what they're calling distraction theft crimes.

According to a post shared on the department's Instagram, three Romanian nationals were arrested in a distraction theft crime operation involving several counties and at least a dozen victims across California.

Video shared by the sheriff's department shows two suspects walking behind a man as he's entering his PIN number at an ATM.

"As the victim gets ready to complete his transaction, one suspect drops money at the victim's feet, causing the victim to bend down and pick it up," read the department's Instagram post. "While the victim was distracted, a second suspect swapped the victim's ATM card with a fraudulent one."

Authorities said the thefts happen fast and are not limited to ATM transactions. They said criminals may also try to steal PIN codes while people wait in line at grocery stores or other businesses.

The sheriff's department urges people to stay vigilant and always cover the keypad when entering your PIN number.