Card skimmer found at Dumbarton bank

May 28 2010 by Amanda Mckendrick, Lennox Herald (main ed)

HUNDREDS of bank customers are at risk from fraud after a card “skimmer” was found attached to a cash machine.

The device – which enables crooks to steal data from a card’s magnetic strip – was spotted on an ATM at the Royal Bank of Scotland’s High Street branch in Dumbarton by an off-duty policeman at around 10.30am on Thursday.

It follows the discovery of a similar card-reader – which fits over the card slot – at a cash point in Hardgate, Clydebank, days earlier.

Police also believe a card cloning device could have been attached to an ATM at RBS’s Helensburgh branch at the beginning of May. An American navyman using the cash dispenser fell victim to fraudsters who took £300 from his account earlier this month.

It is not yet known if any other customers have been targeted by card crooks who use the data gleaned from the skimmers to create a cloned card which is then sued for fraudulent transactions.

The spate of crimes has led to fears that a criminal gang is in operation in the area and police have warned ALL bank customers to be careful when using cash machines, and to check their statements for any suspicious transactions.

Although police have not yet received any reports of cash being fraudulently taken from accounts following the discovery in Dumbarton, customers may not realise there is a problem until they receive their bank statement.

Police have issued descriptions of two men who were seen acting suspiciously near the bank before the device was found.

The first is described as mid-thirties, 5ft 10in tall and of medium build. He had shoulder-length black hair and was wearing a black jacket with distinctive lettering on the sleeve.

The other man was a similar age, 5ft 9in tall, stocky build and short black hair. He was wearing a jacket with lettering on the back. Both men had an Eastern European appearance.

Detective Chief Inspector Norrie Conway said: “It’s important that we receive as much information about these men as possible, any details that the public can provide will help us trace them and allow us to eliminate them from further enquiries.”

Detective Constable Lawrence Malley added:; “Staff at all local banks have been alerted and have been vigilant, going out checking the machines on an hourly basis.

“These offences are linked in terms of geography but we are open-minded as to whether it is the same team involved.”

A spokesman for the Royal Bank of Scotland said: “We take the issue of fraud seriously and are working with police and other authorities to combat this.

“We would urge anyone who is suspicious about any ATM or transaction to contact their branch as soon as possible.”

LINK, the UK’s cash machine network, offer a £25,000 reward for information related to bank machine crime.