Attempts to steal people's bank cards and PIN codes while they are using cash machines have tripled over the past year.
In a practice the police call 'shoulder surfing', thieves look over a person's shoulder while they key in their number at cash machines and then distract them as the card comes out of the ATM, enabling the thief to snatch it.
Other thieves fit a skimming device to the front of a cash machine which reads card details, allowing fraudsters to create a duplicate.
According to Financial Fraud Action UK (FFA UK), there were 7,525 such incidents in the first four months of the year, compared with 2,553 in the same period in 2012.
The Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit (DCPCU) says more robust security features are prompting criminals to resort to low-tech deception crimes designed to dupe customers into parting with their cards, PINs and financial passwords.
Detective Inspector David Timmins, from the DCPCU, said: "These fraudsters can be highly persuasive, so our message to customers is simple: your bank or the police will never call, visit or email you to request your login details or PIN, or to collect your card.
"If you receive such a request, it will always be fraud, so protect yourself and call the police".
To minimise the chances of having your card or card details stolen at a cash machine, FFA UK advises: - Stand close to the cash machine: Always shield the keypad with your free hand and your body to avoid anyone seeing you enter your PIN.
This will protect your PIN from anyone who might be looking over your shoulder, and also help to keep your PIN safe if a fraudster has set up a hidden camera that is filming the keypad. - Be alert and put your personal safety first: If someone is crowding or watching you, cancel the transaction and go to another machine. Do not accept help from seemingly well-meaning strangers and never allow yourself to be distracted. - Put away your money and card before leaving the cash machine: Destroy or preferably shred your cash machine receipts, mini-statements or balance enquiries when you dispose of them. - Beware of skimming devices: Contact your card company immediately if your card is retained by the machine for any reason, ideally using your mobile phone while you are still in front of the machine. Make sure you have your card company's 24 hour contact number stored in your mobile phone.
Fraudsters sometimes fit devices to cash machines that trap your card, which they then retrieve as soon as you have left the area. - Look closely: If you spot anything unusual about the cash machine, or there are signs of tampering, do not use it. Report it to the bank concerned immediately.
