A Falmouth man has warned others to keep an eye out for card cloning devices on cash machines after falling victim twice in one month.

The man, who does not want to be named after fears criminals still have his financial information, says he thinks the cloners struck in Falmouth or Penryn.

He said: "It has been an unbelievable amount of trouble and while my bank has been fantastic, paying back the money, I just want to make sure people know that it can happen to them and to be careful."

A police spokesman said: "There are a number of was that a criminal can get card details from a member of the public including using a cloning device which is attached to the from of an ATM. These are becoming more and more sophisticated and harder to detect."

He added that if there was anything that seemed out of place or anyone nearby taking an unusual interest then the advice was not to use that machine.

The equipment used to capture card numbers and PIN numbers are cleverly disguised to look like normal ATM equipment.

The "skimmer" is mounted to the front of the normal card slot and records or wirelessly transmits the card number to the criminals.

At the same time, a hidden wireless camera records the pin number typed on the keypad.

Tips to avoid card cloners:

  • Make a physical check of the exterior of the ATM before you put your card in. Report any unusual or loose parts to the bank or store immediately.
  • Place a covering hand over the one used to tap out your PIN so that a camera cannot see what number you are inserting.
  • Make sure there are no suspicious people hanging around near the machine, especially ones who offer to help when your card doesn't work.

A spokesperson from Falmouth police station said there were no logs of card cloning in recent weeks.

Banks normally deal with any problems first, before deciding whether to report the matter to the police.