Criminals are tampering with ATMs in Bradford to trap cards, police warn. Keighley and Huddersfield also at risk.
Crooks are messing with ATMs, primarily using plastic card traps. This stops your card from ejecting. Police say this is happening a lot lately, blocking cards during transactions, often after bank hours when help isn’t readily available.
The crooks hang around nearby. They approach you when the machine fails, acting like they’re helping you. They’ll reassure you that your card is safe inside and tell you to come back later to get it from the bank.
Unfortunately, once the victim leaves with their card stuck, the crook retrieves it later. The crook will then use the card to buy stuff. Police have found card traps in some Bradford ATMs, with similar incidents reported in Keighley and Huddersfield as well.
Police want people to be careful out there and use their card carefully. If an ATM eats your card for no clear reason, immediately call your bank. Try freezing your card using your phone app or by calling the bank directly to ensure that your card is inaccessible
Finally, report any issues to the bank and the police. You can call 101 to report it, or use westyorkshire.police.uk/LiveChat too.