CASH machine users have been warned to stay on their guard after ATMs in Headington, Oxford, were targeted by thieves using hi-tech card skimming devices.

Last Sunday, the ATM at Coventry Building Society in London Road was targeted while hundreds of revellers enjoyed the Headington Festival in Bury Knowle Park.

Police recovered a card skimming device from the machine after a tip-off.

The find comes just a week after an estimated 80 Coventry Building Society customers used an Abbey ATM in London Road, unaware that a card skimming device was attached. Ten people reported cash missing from their accounts.

Both incidents are being investigated by police.

The incident angered one Barton mother who had her Nationwide account emptied after she used the Abbey cash machine on Friday, May 29.

Heidi Castle, 34, of Overdale Close, had £200 withdrawn from her account that weekend at a cash machine in Enfield in north London.

Miss Castle said she would now no longer use cash machines in Headington.

She said: “It’s ridiculous now. It’s happened two weeks in a row.

“It’s beyond a joke. It’s not safe to use a cash machine in Headington at all.

“I think they’re targeting Headington because it’s quite a rich place to live.

“I’m not going to use them here anymore. I’m going to pay £2 to go to Oxford and withdraw my money there instead.

“I burst into tears when I found out it happened to me. I was gutted.

“It was a massive shock. It upset me very much.”

The mother-of-two was the second Nationwide customer to contact the Oxford Mail after falling victim to the fraudsters.

Last week Sharon Walton, 45, who works in the CLIC Sargent charity shop in London Road, had £390 taken out by criminals in Enfield and nearby Tottenham after she used the Abbey cash machine.

Criminals attach skimming devices, which can read a person’s bank card while a tiny camera records their PIN number.

The thieves then make a so-called ‘clone’ version of the card and use it to withdraw money from other bank machines.

A police spokesman said: “We have had four other reports from members of the public whose cash has gone out of their accounts after cards were used at a cashpoint in Headington.

“Officers have collected CCTV footage from Abbey.

“Officers went to the Coventry Building Society because we heard there was a skimming device at a cash machine. We found the device.”

Abbey spokesman Siobhan O’Shea said staff at the Abbey branch reported there was evidence its ATM machine in London Road had been tampered with at the end of last week.

She added: “Someone from our specialist fraud team will be contacting the police. Abbey takes all reports of fraudulent activity very seriously and we have a number of measures in place to deal with this type of activity.

“We would advise anyone who has used an ATM and thinks their card has been compromised to contact their bank as soon as possible.”

Richard Field, spokesman for Coventry Building Society, said the skimming device on its ATM was removed when a customer noticed it and no one has reported losing any money.

The building society has reimbursed customers scammed at the Abbey machine last week, but Mr Field refused to say how many were affected.

Pc Dan Godden, of Headington neighbourhood team, said: “We have increased patrols and continued over the weekend. We would encourage people to be extra vigilant. Anyone who sees anything suspicious or people hanging around cash machines for a long time must give police a call.”

l Call police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

cwalker@oxfordmail.co.uk

Tips to prevent ATM fraud:

Check the machine you are using for evidence of tampering, particularly the card reader slot and PIN panel.

Stand closer to the ATM screen and shield your keystrokes with your hand as you enter your PIN number.

Check no-one is spying on you over your shoulder.

If you suspect a cash machine is not working properly, press cancel and remove your card, then report the incident to your bank.

Do not remove any suspicious device you find, as they are valuable to the criminal and they may use force to retrieve them.

If you notice anything suspicious with a cash machine, report it to the bank or shop it is located at, or to the police.

Note down your debit and credit card details, so that you can cancel them quickly if they’re stolen or lost.

Never write down your PIN number in case thieves find it after stealing your purse or wallet.