Essex police issues advice following the discovery of bank card skimming devices

ESSEX police have revealed simple steps to identify cash machine fraud following the discovery of a number of skimming machines found in the north of the county.

In recent weeks, Essex Police has discovered the devices placed on cash machines in mid and north Essex, and is asking members of the public to be vigilant when using ATMs.

The devices typically have two components - one to retain the card in the ATM and the other a small camera, often a modified mobile phone, to capture the PIN.

There are a number of situations whereby a cash machine will legitimately retain a customer's card, such as problems with the account or because a card has expired.

If the cash machine retains a card for entirely legitimate reasons, the screen of the ATM will display a message confirming this and asking that the customer contacts the bank or building society.

Call 999

There are very rare occasions when a card may be held in the machine, but no message appears. In these circumstances, it is possible that a customer has been the victim of an ATM skimming device.

If a card has been retained by a cash machine and no message is displayed informing the customer of this or asking them to contact their bank, then Essex Police advises members of the public to check the cash machine for any visual evidence of a skimming device fitted to the card slot, or of a camera, perhaps shaped like a mobile phone, stuck within any recess above the key pad.

If the card holder finds clear visual evidence of a skimming device being present in the cash machine, then that person should call 999 and inform Essex Police of the incident immediately.

In all other circumstances, members of the public should contact their card issuer, bank or building society, immediately to cancel the card.

If the card issuer advises that a crime has taken place, then the card holder should call 0300 3334444 to inform Essex Police of this.