A small electronic device used by criminals to gain account information and Pin numbers was found on a NatWest cash machine in the High Street last week – prompting police to urge shoppers to take extra care when using cash machines in the town.
Stone Inspector Carl Humphries said: “If you have any concerns about the condition of a cash machine then don’t use it and report it to the bank. When entering your pin number cover the keypad with your hand.”
So-called ‘skimming’ devices are positioned over the card slot of a cash machine which reads the magnetic strip as the user passes their card through it. These devices are often used along with a small camera which records the user’s pin number at the same time.
Another skimming device used is a keypad overlay that matches up with the buttons of the legitimate keypad below and presses them when operated, but records or transmits the pin number.
Some cash machines now have a picture of what the slot and keypad are supposed to look like, so that users can identify foreign devices attached.
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