BURNLEY police are warning people to be on their guard when using cash dispensers after thieves used a device called a Lebanese Hook to steal a bank card.
The gadget is put into the cash machine causing the customer's card to be retained. The thief, who will stand behind them so they can see the pin number, then hooks out the card and uses it to withdraw money from the cash machine.
Det Sgt Pete Simm said: "We are asking people to be vigilant when using cash machines.
"Make sure the card area has not been tampered with and no-one behind you can see your pin number when you type it in."
The warning follows an incident in which a thief used a Lebanese Hook on a Natwest cash machine outside the entrance to Asda, in Burnley.
The scam, which has recently arrived in the UK, is thought to be used by organised criminal gangs.
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