Residents urged to remain vigilant following distraction incident at town cash point

Those visiting the town centre are being urged to remain vigilant following a ‘suspicious incident’ at a cash point in Wrexham.

It took place at a bank in the Regent Street area of town, in which a resident was stood waiting to withdraw cash from the cash machine, within the bank building, when they had a tap on the shoulder and they were told they had dropped something on the floor.

The resident picked up the item and went on to withdraw some cash. Within a few seconds they realised they could not find their card. The resident saw someone next to them pick something up but did not associate this with his missing card.

The victim reported the incident to the staff at the bank and the card was cancelled.

A card was handed was into bank staff by an individual, who said they had found it outside the bank. It is thought it was possibly discarded by the person who had picked it up within the bank, having realised it could not be used.

In this instance no money has been taken, however residents are being urged to remain vigilant of those around you when withdrawing cash from a cash machine.

The following advice has also been issued:

– Where possible, plan ahead and get your cash out during daylight hours.
– Be vigilant when using a cash machine. If you notice anything out of place, any unusual devices attached to the machine or anyone hanging around nearby, report it.
– Skimming or cloning devices are sometimes used to copy details from the magnetic stripe on your card as it is inserted into the machine. Criminals may also try to obtain your PIN number by fixing a tiny camera above the keypad.
– If you do notice any unusual devices, alert bank or building society staff straight away or call the number given on the machine if no staff are available.
– If the cash machine doesn’t return your card when you expect it to, do not re-enter the PIN. –
– Report your lost card to the machine’s owner as soon as you can.
– Stand close to the machine and shield the keypad, so that nobody can see you enter your PIN number, and it cannot be recorded by a hidden camera.
– Ensure nobody is looking over your shoulder- they may see your PIN number and then target you to steal and use your card.
– Do not accept help from “well-meaning” strangers or allow yourself to be distracted.
– On completing your transaction, put your money and card safely away and out of sight before moving away from the cash machine.
– On a night out, don’t be tempted to draw out more money when you’ve had a few to drink. You’ll be vulnerable to opportunist thieves who look out for people with their guard down and you’ll be more likely to lose large amounts of cash

Always report anything suspicious to Police – dial 101 for non-urgent calls. Dial 999 if your -call is urgent.