From Maureen child:
A local Portobello resident has warned us to be aware that he was almost tricked by a device inserted into an ATM cash machine at the Royal Bank in Portobello on Tuesday evening. The device was designed to prevent cards from coming back out. The man’s card was taken by the machine, but he managed to remove the device and stop the machine from swallowing his card. It was very subtle and really not easy to spot. With hindsight, he says it was quite hard to get the card in, so people should also be watching for this. He reported it to the Police in Portobello and they took his details. And he cancelled the card. We discussed this scam at the community safety sub-committee of the local Neighbourhood Partnership this week and the police confirmed they are investigating this incident. The police confirmed that these devices and scams are becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect. If there is any doubt about an ATM, do report it to the bank - if it’s open at the time - or contact the police.
For all non-emergencies and general enquiries, 101 is the number you call if you need to contact your local police. You can call 101 to report a crime that has already happened, seek crime prevention advice or make the police aware of any policing issues in your local area. Using 101 for situations that do not require an immediate police response helps keep 999 available for when there is an emergency. To find out more about how to help the police keep our neighbourhoods safe click on: http://www.lbp.police.uk/my%20neighbour ... nburg.aspx
If you have information about a crime, but want to remain totally anonymous, phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Information has led recently to granting warrants, arrests and prosecutions for criminal activity.
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