BANK customers in Beverley are being warned to be on their guard against scammers targeting cash machines.
Police are investigating after a woman had almost £700 stolen from her account in two separate transactions after she used a cashpoint in the town.
The woman only noticed the money was missing when she went to withdraw some money to pay her bills last week and discovered she had no cash left in her account.
She said: "I want other people to be aware of what is happening.
"I don't want them to be robbed of hundreds of pounds like I have been.
"People need to be very careful when using cash machines and make sure no one is watching behind them."
The lady reported the theft to the Post Office, with whom she banks, and also to Humberside Police at Beverley, who told her of a similar theft.
Police believe the woman was watched while entering her pin number into cash machines at Tesco, Asda near Norwood and outside WH Smith in the town centre.
The problem has now been reported to Action Fraud, which is supporting the call for people in Beverley to be on alert.
A spokesman for Action Fraud said: "If people spot anything unusual about a cash machine, or if there are signs of tampering, they should not use it and report it to the bank as soon as possible.
"If someone is behaving suspiciously or watching you, you should cancel your transaction and use another machine."
People are also reminded to shield their pin number and use their free hand to shield the key pad from prying eyes.
The Beverley woman said: "The last time I used my card was on the Saturday to withdraw £10, so all I can think is it happened then.
"It is very annoying and frustrating to have something like this happen. I just want other people to know and be more aware when they are out and about in the town centre."
The woman has since had the money refunded to her by the Post Office. She said: "It is great that I have got my money back but other people may not be so lucky.
"People really need to be on their guard."
Action Fraud is advising people to make sure they monitor their accounts on a regular basis to check for any fraudulent transactions.
The spokesman said: "An identity protection service such as ProtectMyID monitors your Experian credit report and alerts you by email or text message to potential fraudulent activity.
"If it's fraud, a dedicated caseworker will help you resolve everything."
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