I am an ATM Fraud analyst and can advise that great lengths are gone to in order to protect our customers from fraud, without doubt protecting our customers integrity is at the forefront of everything we do.
Where the onus is on banks to protect the machines where possible (ie where a solution exists), the manufacturers to keep on top of the new frauds and to factory fit solutions, and the police to capture the fraudsters, our customers too have responsibility to protect their own PIN number- without which the cloned card is useless.

"It is not up to us to check the machine as it belongs to the bank or the company who run these machines how often do a bank person leaves the bank to check these machines ....... never , it`s their problem not our`s" i would like to say steve i work in a bank and we twice daily check our cash machines on the exterior. Luckily, our cash machine has not been tampered with, however there are some unlucky customers whom we recover their fraud for using other tampered cash machines. So, whilst it is our cash machine and our problem if it did happen-attitudes like your own does not help prevent fraud. Shield your pin and be vigilant and if you note anything out of the ordinary report it.simple.

Be very careful of someone who rings you up and says 'there is a security alert on your account'. This is very definitely fraud, happened to us the first time and we were taken in and relieved of £2300 which the bank returned immediately. However, I now have countless voicemail messages from someone who says she is 'Lee from my local bank' ALL banks use automated services now to verify your authority, if you get a person ringing hang up immediately and ring your bank. There are suspicions that the criminals were actually working in the bank call centre. However, what does annoy me is that each time I report this the person on the other end of the phone is more interested in selling me identity fraud. I have also had someone ringing from an insurance company asking how much money I had!! Be wary of EVERYTHING, never give details over the phone and check any cash machines you are using both for devices and people standing around. If it is true that criminals are working in the call centres then there really isn't much escape for anyone. I realise this is not much to do with the article, but we were taken in so easily I felt the need to warn everyone. Don't think it won't happen to you.

It is not up to us to check the machine as it belongs to the bank or the company who run these machines how often do a bank person leaves the bank to check these machines ....... never , it`s their problem not our`s . Steve.

Metoo, those who thieve by digital means (like these scams) are just bigger cowards than those that rob people face to face (such as mugging). At least muggers look you bathe eye when they rob you, fair enough they're normally too cowardly to face anyone without a weapon. The trouble of course with this country is whenever people get caught thieving they get a slap on the wrist, anything else and the lily livered do gooders start crying about how they must have had a trouble life blah blah blah. We should start thinking more of the victims and less about the criminals then these crimes may start to decrease. Increase jail terms and reduce the hotel status of the jails would be a start.

This was a big problem here in the US, most banks have now replaced the ATM card readers with ones which do not permit these scammers to add on those devices. A problem does still exist with petrol pumps that take credit cards. As someone mentioned, look at the card reader carefully and make sure it doesn't look like an add on device. Another problem we have is scammers standing next to you with a hand held device which can read your credit cards in your pocket or wallet. To stop that place some aluminum foil in your wallet on both sides of the cards, it works.

When I saw such a long post PaulM I was tempted to bypass it - but I enjoyed reading it - great points, well made. Anyone reading this - please read PaulM's point!

its not happened to me - i always check none of the parts pull off before using them. those caught scamming these should face 10's of thousands in compensation claims and fines. make it so its worthless of them to try it.

it's happened to me before i found out money was withdrawn from wallsend! thankfully the bank refunded the cash and i now always cover my pin number!

I agree Stemax1960 it was much better and easy back in them days. I say bring back the wage packets for one its safer and secondly theres nothing like the feeling of finishing work on a Friday and being handed your wage packet oh how I miss tha feeling. It's not the same when its straight in your bank and you dont actually touch it. Oh how I really miss them days.