Cashpoint Alert
| Published: 24th August 2007 11:51 |
There have recently been incidents in the Lichfield area targeting customers at bank cashpoint machines. The offenders are believed to be asian males. The offender approaches the unsuspecting user of the cashpoint - the victim is then aware of someone trying to put pieces of paper in front of them, as if distributing flyers, which distracts them. The offender then tells the victim that the machine is not working, and then 'helpfully' gives them a series of instructions to put their pin number in and press various buttons to get their card back. The card appears to be retained by the machine - in fact the offender has already taken the card under the cover of the 'flyers', and they now have the pin number. In one case the victim was using an exterior cashpoint at a bank in Conduit St Lichfield - by the time they had found someone in the bank to assist them £1000 had been withdrawn in two transactions. There may be CCTV evidence of this incident. We understand there was another incident at the cashpoint at Morrisons in Beacon St. It is quite possible there have been other incidents, over a wider area, perhaps where the offenders have been less successful and the victim did not realise what was happening. If anyone has had a similar experience, or can offer any description of the offenders, please contact the police on 08453 302010. As always, please be very vigilant when using cashpoint machines.
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