Police in Woking are warning people to be on their guard after thieves used a metal device to steal cards and withdraw cash from an ATM machine on two separate occasions.
The most recent offence took place at Barlays Bank in Church Street East between 7-45 and 8am on July 29. The offender attached a metal strip to the cash dispenser and waited for a member of the public to withdraw cash from the machine before returning to the cashpoint and removing the money using the device.
Two people seen acting suspiciously in the area around the time of the offence are described as an Asian male in his late 30s, 5ft 8 tall, of skinny build with short black hair and wearing a dark grey zipped jacket, black trousers and white headphones, and a white female in her late 40s, 5ft 6 tall, of medium build with short pink hair and wearing a high-visibility jacket.
A similar offence took place at the same ATM around 8am on July 27, with £300 taken using a trapping mechanism.
Further offences are believed to have taken place at the Barclays Bank ATM in Old Woking Road, West Byfleet, at the beginning of the month.
Now people are being urged to be vigilant when using cash machines and tell police immediately if they see anything suspicious. If possible they should not leave the scene if their card is retained but call for help and inform their bank to prevent cash being stolen.
Police believe the metal device is a โLebanese loopโ, a term applied to any number of similar devices used to perpetrate ATM fraud by retaining the user’s card. In their simplest form, loops consist of a strip or sleeve of metal or plastic that is inserted into the card slot. This prevents cards being drawn into the machine, fooling the user into believing the ATM has malfunctioned or retained their card.
In a typical scam, the offender will obtain the victim’s PIN either by watching them enter it or by approaching them under the pretence of offering help and suggesting they re-enter their PIN. Once the victim has left they retrieve the loop and the trapped card, using it to withdraw cash.
