South Ribble Police has issued a warning after reports of cash machine skimming devices being used in Preston, Leyland and Bamber Bridge.

The devices prevent your card from being ejected while recording your pin number as you type it.

A statement from police said: “Before using the machine, check if there are any loose parts on or around it – The card slot, keypad and anything above the keypad area.

“If in doubt, please contact bank staff and consider using a different machine.

More: Skimming machine found in Preston

“If a device is discovered, please call the police so we can recover it and investigate the matter.”

Official advice regarding  spotting skimming machines is available below.

• You find a wobbly or bulky part that doesn’t seem to belong with the machine, such as a cover over the card slot or a loose keypad.
• Purchases and withdrawals start appearing on your account that you don’t remember making.
• Some cash machines are built entirely by fraudsters. Be cautious using a ‘standalone’ machine, rather than a ‘hole in the wall’, which is embedded in the front of a building such as a bank.