Bank card users are being urged to remain vigilant following increasing reports of a cash machine scam.
Several people have reported that their bank cards were retained by ATM machines and then later discovered cash had been withdrawn from their accounts. This is down to a "discreet device" placed over the card slot.
Now, people who use ATM machines are being urged to remain vigilant and remember some top tips to avoid falling victim to this crime , the Mirror reports.
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Detective Sergeant Mark Fava, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: "It appears that these thefts are being achieved by a discreet device being placed over the card slot of the machine, which scans the card details, transmits the data to the criminal and then blocks the card from being returned.
"The best way to avoid this happening to you is to cancel or suspend your bank card if it is retained by an ATM. If you have a banking app on your phone you may be able to freeze your card temporarily until you can establish what has happened. Alternatively, you may need to call your bank to cancel or suspend the card until it has been recovered."
People are being encouraged to examine the machine before use and if anything looks out of place, do not use it and report it to the bank right away. If the machine fails to return your card or any cash you have withdrawn, you should contact the police and your bank to inform them.
The police force is urging people to take the following precautions when using cash machines:
- Always look closely at the card insertion point of a cash machine before using it. If it looks like it may have been tampered with, do not use it.
- If you realise the machine has been tampered with after you have inserted your card, call your bank while still standing at the cash machine if it is safe to do so.
- Always shield your hand when entering your PIN into a cash point keypad.
- If the machine retains your card or fails to dispense cash you have withdrawn, without a suitable explanation message on the screen, contact your bank immediately and then police on our non-emergency number 101.
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