Wiltshire Police appealing for information following bank fraud in Corsham and Trowbridge (From Wiltshire Times)

Wiltshire Police appealing for information following bank fraud in Corsham and Trowbridge

5:04pm Tuesday 16th October 2012 in Wiltshire

Wiltshire Police is appealing for information following two bank card frauds in Wiltshire where both victims have had a considerable amount of money stolen.

Both incidents involved the victims putting their bank cards into a cash machine, which then retained the card and, when they have contacted their banks, they have been told that the cards have been used to withdraw large amounts of money.

Both incidents took place on the afternoon of Saturday, June 9.

The first took place between 4.15pm and 5.45pm at the HSBC cash machine on the High Street, Corsham.

The female victim placed her card into the machine before a message popped up and told her that her card had been retained and she could see the card stuck in the slot.

Later that afternoon, she contacted her bank who informed her that various transactions had taken place from her account that day amounting to approximately £800.

Some of these had been cash withdrawals and others had been to buy items in various stores.

Many of these transactions had taken place in the Ladbrokes bookmakers in Corsham.

Later that day, between 6.20pm and 6.25pm, the second victim attempted to use the Lloyds TSB cash machine on Fore Street, Trowbridge.

After putting her card inside the machine and typing in her PIN number, the victim states a warning flashed on the cash machine screen saying that the machine was closing down and the cash withdrawal she had requested had been declined.

She was unable to regain her card.

She was also aware of a man standing behind her pacing up and down. When she encountered the problems with the cash machine, she advised the man there was another one he could use close by.

After leaving for a brief while, the man returned and asked the woman if she had lost her card and tried to give her a card from his wallet which he claimed had a telephone number on to contact the bank. She refused this card and left the cash machine.

Later that evening, the victim contacted her bank to report her card was stuck in the machine, when she was informed that just over £930 had been spent from her account.

She was told that approximately £400 of this amount had been spent in the Ladbrokes bookmakers in Bath.

Attached are several CCTV images taken from both Ladbrokes stores of men that police would like to speak to in connection with this investigation.

PC Richard Gardner from the Crime Management team said: “These crimes have impacted greatly on the victims, who have lost a considerable amount of money.

“We would always advise anyone who has had their bank card swallowed by a cash machine, to contact their banks immediately and to not leave the machine until they have achieved this.

“In these two cases we think that a false front has been placed over the cash machine and the card has been captured in between this false front and the machine.

“The offenders have then taken the card and have the PIN number stored in a computer chip, allowing them to use the card to purchase goods and, in these two incidents, spend in a bookmakers.

“Anyone with information is urged to come forward and all information handed to us will be treated in the strictest confidence.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Wiltshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously.