A pensioner realised he was the victim of a card cloning scam after conmen stole more than £500 from his account
Sidney Cole, 65, of Tye Green Road, Cressing, was out with his wife Theresa, 62, in Braintree town centre when he was tricked by conmen, who have been targeting the area for several months.
He was using his debit card at the Lloyds/TSB cash point in Tofts Walk, near Sainsbury's, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
The retired butcher said: "A man was standing by the side of me and he asked if that was my money. There was a rolled up five pound note on the floor.
"At the same time a lad tapped my wife on the shoulder and asked her for directions.
"I bent down to pick up the money and he then said it was his. I took my money and my card and thought nothing of it."
It was three days later when Mr Cole checked his bank statement that he discovered money totalling £510 was withdrawn from cashpoints in Boreham, Edgware, Henley and Watford.
Police have said the ruse takes a matter of seconds where one person distracts the victim while the card is taken out of the machine and swiped into a device which clones the magnetic strip on the card.
The two men are described as Eastern European and in their mid-20s. One was wearing a suit and one was casually dressed.
Published Wednesday, May 28, 2003
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