This is Leicestershire --Crime gangs are targeting banks on one of Leicester's main roads with hi-tech skimming devices on cash machines.
Police have found the devices – which fit over the ATMs and are designed to read customers' account details from their cards – on machines at banks in Narborough Road nine times in the past five months.
They believe the area is being targeted by criminals and have warned people to be on the look-out for signs that cash dispensers have been tampered with.
Sergeant Simon Barnes, of Hinckley Road police station, said: "Normally we have these things once in a blue moon, so nine in such a short space of time is a lot and it is a concern.
"Some of these things may have been in situ for some time and it's been eagle-eyed members of the public who have spotted them.
"One person spotted one of them and removed it and ended up getting chased by the suspects, who appear to have remained in the area.
"Our general message to people is to be on the alert and to call the police immediately if they believe a bank machine has been tampered with."
At this stage it is not known if the criminals were successful in obtaining customers' account details and using the information to withdraw their cash.
The Mercury reported on two of the first incidents in the spate of crimes in February.
A skimming device was found on the cashpoint at Barclays on Narborough Road on February 15 and another one on the ATM machine at Barclays in Narborough Road South two days later.
Since then, seven more devices have been found at banks along the road.
However, police said the banks have asked not to be identified.
Police refer incidents of ATM fraud to a national investigating body – the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit, a team of officers from the City of London and Metropolitan Police forces.
The unit said its caseload was rising month by month.
In April last year, it recorded 861 incidents across the country compared to 2,276 in April this year.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Carter, of the DCPCU, said: "Cash machines are generally very safe, but they do sometimes attract criminal attention.
"Make sure you have your card company's 24-hour contact number stored in your mobile phone. If you spot anything unusual about the machine, or there are signs of tampering, do not use it. Report it to the bank concerned immediately." Reported by This is 20 hours ago.