A credit card skimmer, a device which allows criminals to carry out fraud on credit and debit cards, has been discovered attached to a cash machine on Osborne Road.

The device was attached to an ATM outside the Lloyds TSB branch on the corner of Acorn Road and Osborne Road, and police discovered it on the afternoon of April 7th. Sky Tyne & Wear first reported the news that police had sealed off the cash machine, discouraging residents from using it. A Lloyds TSB spokesperson could not be reached by JesmondLocal for comment on the incident.

In recent years card skimming devices have become more prevalent on cash machines. The devices, fitted to the fascia of an ATM over the actual card-reading slot, are often carefully designed to look similar to the existing cash machine, but contain a reader which swipes important details and allows criminals to manufacture clones of credit and debit cards.

Card skimmers are regularly paired with pinhole cameras, positioned over the keypad of a cash machine, which records the corresponding PIN number associated with a card.

The UK Payments Council, an industry body, advises customers not to use a cash machine “if there is anything unusual about the cash machine, or there are signs of tampering.”

There are over 66,000 cash machines in the UK, with nearly £50bn withdrawn from October-December 2012 across 738m individual transactions. On average each person using a cash machine withdraws £68 at a time – though there are large regional swings. In Jesmond, where a significant proportion of the population are students, individual transactions are smaller.

“We need everyone to be aware of these type of devices and to take steps to help protect themselves and their bank details,” Newcastle East Neighbourhood Inspector Deborah Alderson said today.

“People need to be extra vigilant when using cash machines and take general precautions including making sure they cover the keypad when entering their pin and taking extra care when putting their card into the machine. Before using a cashpoint take a look at the machine for anything that doesn’t look right or anything that looks like it shouldn’t be there. If in doubt then don’t use the machine and report it to bank staff or police.”

Anyone with information about the device is asked to contact police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111