Be on your guard using cash machines in Knutsford (From Knutsford Guardian)

Be on your guard using cash machines in Knutsford

8:40am Monday 18th February 2013 in News By James Wilson

A WARNING has been issued by police after it was reported that distraction thieves were operating around Knutsford’s cash machines.

Police in Knutsford and Wilmslow are urging the public to think before they punch their pin number into a cash machine following two distraction incidents on Wednesday, February 6.

Sgt Andy Miller, from Knutsford Police station, told the Guardian he was urging residents to be on their guard.

“We’re urging the public to be vigilant following an attempted distraction theft at an ATM in Knutsford where a woman was watched using the machine in Canute Square at around 10.40am.

“A man and woman, described as Eastern European, then tried to get her to open her bag saying she had dropped some money.

“This happened again in Grove Street in Wilmslow at around 1.19pm, but this time the thieves were successful and managed to distract her by pretending to help her look for the money. They then stole her debit card out of her hand.

“In such incidents someone will have been watching over the victim’s shoulder as they typed in their pin number.”

To make life difficult for these distraction thieves, residents are urged to check no one is watching when they punch their pin into an ATM or chip and pin device and always attempt to conceal the number.

Anyone with information on these incidents should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.