Cash Machine Card Scam On The Rise, Police Say

(Jonathan Nicholson/NurPhoto/REX)

Police have warned that the use of a special device used to steal cards from ATMs is on the rise.

The device, known as a ‘Lebanese loop’ thanks to its popularity among the criminal classes in Beirut, uses a special strip of plastic to stop your card from being returned to you when you use a cash machine.

Once you leave the cashpoint, the thieves step in and liberate your card. Some criminals even offer to help you retrieve your card, suggesting that you put your PIN number in again and memorising or filming it as you do.

Prime sites tend to be near pubs and restaurants. The devices tend to look like a normal part of the cash machine, but police say you may notice the card slot sticking out further than other parts of the machine - if you have any suspicions, do not use the cashpoint.

If your card is retained by a machine, try not to leave the ATM if it’s safe for you to stay. Call your bank and cancel your card as soon as possible; remember always to shield your PIN as you enter it at any cash machine.

In July, one man was found guilty of £4,373 worth of fraud using Lebanese loops in London. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison.