Story by Karen Evans
An eagle-eyed Presteigne man out-smarted criminals when he spotted a skimming device fitted to a Knighton cash dispenser and potentially saved scores of people from having money taken from their accounts.
Craig Nowell was just about to get some money out of the HSBC ATM on Broad Street on Sunday at abut 5.30pm, when he thought something did not look right.
The colour of parts of the dispenser was different and there was a metal tag near the card slot and another strip with a hole in it at the top of the machine.
Clever Craig had seen warnings on Crimewatch just the week before about suspicious cash dispensers and he remembered the tell-tale signs, one of which was the strip with a hole which is a camera filming PIN numbers.
The quick-thinking 22-year-old covered his PIN number as he entered it and obtained his money as his card was already in the machine, before going to track down a police officer.
Craig called at Knighton and Presteigne Police Stations but there were no officers around, so he called Llandrindod Wells Police Station and they called for an officer to attend.
Constable Mark Staggs accompanied Craig and his girlfriend Lucy Sheen to the cash dispenser where he removed the skimming device that had been attached to it. It has now be sent away for forensic tests.
Craig said: “When I put my card into the machine, it just did not seem right. There was a strip that was a darker silver than normal where you put your card in and then I noticed a little metal tag on the right-hand side of the card slot. I looked up and at the top there was another strip with a hole in it and when I saw the piece on Crimewatch they said to look out for that.
“On Crimewatch they said one in five people are losing money through these skimmers.
“It is a nice feeling to know that I had spotted it and hopefully saved some people from losing money because a lot of people could have been caught out over a weekend.
“I have never come across one before. My girlfriend did not believe that it could happen in Knighton and we would find it.
“I will definitely be more careful in the future, and I will be looking for any strange devices to see if I can find any more.”
HSBC confirmed that it had been notified that a device had been found at the branch and advised customers that they should monitor their accounts.
A spokeswoman said the bank also notifies its customers of any suspicious activities on their accounts and that it reimburses ‘all genuine’ victims of fraud.
The UK banking industry advises people not to use cash machines if they notice anything unusual or signs of tampering and to report it to the bank or premises owner immediately.
A spokesman for Dyfed Powys Police confirmed that an officer had attended the ATM.
“On Sunday, August 17, police were called to a bank in Knighton where it was suspected that a skimming device had been attached to an ATM,” a spokesman said. “The device was removed and sent for forensic testing.
“Police would advise ATM users to be vigilant of any obvious tampering or unusual attachments. If you see anything suspicious do not remove any suspect devices or confront any fraudsters, but report it to the police.”
Anyone who has information which could help the police investigation is asked to contact either the police on 0845 330 2000 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
