Police fear that Surrey is being targeted by an organised criminal gang believed to be responsible for more than 70 cash card crimes.

The warning has gone out to people to be vigilant at cash points after a spate of card crime including six cases in Banstead.

In each of the cases, involving a device called a Lebanese loop, the cards were trapped in machines and then fraudulently used.

Since the beginning of September there have been 72 card offences reported in towns and villages across Surrey – more than 10 a week.

As well as the Banstead cases there were two in Ashtead and one in Ewell.

The worst affected area was West Byfleet where there were 12 cases.

Criminals used a device to trap cards, a different method to the more widely-known card skimming technique.

In skimming offences an electronic unit is attached to the card slot and although cards are returned, their details are saved and later cloned.

In recent years banks have redesigned ATMs to make this much harder, which appears to have forced criminals to resort to the less-sophisticated Lebanese loop method.

The term is recognised industry-wide and comes from the first reported use of the devices in the UK during the 1990s by organised criminal gangs from Lebanon.

A Lebanese loop is a sleeve or strip of thin metal or plastic, which is placed inside the slot of an ATM so it does not eject cards.

Criminals observe the victim entering their PIN – either in person or via a disguised camera – and when they leave with their card trapped, the offenders will quickly retrieve it in an attempt to withdraw money before it is cancelled.

The crooks in the recent spate of offences,damaged nearby cash machines or blocked their slots so that customers were forced to use the machine that was rigged with the loop.

Detective Superintendent Graham Head, who is leading the force intelligence Unit, said: “We are now collating details of offences at a countywide level and speaking to colleagues in neighbouring forces, as the modus operandi is so similar we believe the region could be being targeted by an organised criminal gang.

“Although obviously frustrating, victims of the Lebanese loop method at least know their card has been trapped, whereas skimmed cards are returned to the owner so they may not be aware of the offence until much later.

"Therefore, my top advice if your card becomes stuck is to call the bank on your mobile and get it cancelled straight away, before it can be fraudulently used.”

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