FRAUDSTERS with links to organised crime may have conned thousands of people before a sophisticated cardskimming device was discovered at a cash machine.

Police seized the device from a machine outside a supermarket this week, but fear it could have been there for up to two days before it was detected by an engineer.

They are advising people who used the Lloyds TSB cashpoint outside Asda, in Whinbush Way, Darlington, during the 48 hours before it was found – at 2pm on Thursday – to call their bank.

As well as a card-skimmer, which reads the electronic information from the card, the fraudsters planted a pinhole camera above the keypad to record victims tapping in their pin numbers.

Criminals transfer the electronic information to another plastic card and use that and the pin number to withdraw money from victims’ accounts.

Police said the device, made to blend into the cash machine, would have been extremely difficult to detect. Officers seized the camera, but the fraudsters had already recovered the skimming device.

Sergeant John Tyers said: “We are appealing to anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area up to 48 hours beforehand to come forward.

“This sort of crime is extremely rare in the Durham force area, but police are warning members of the public to be vigilant when using cash machines. If it does not look right or you cannot get your card into the slot properly, I would advise you to use a different machine.

“I would also advise people to always cover their pin numbers.”

He also said people should watch out for seemingly helpful people at cash machines who offer advice when it is difficult to insert cards.

He said: “These people are usually fraudsters.”

He said the operation was sophisticated and likely to be linked to organised crime.

He said: “The key thing is we have disrupted the operation.

The device we seized cannot be made overnight.

Anyone with concerns should contact their bank.”

Anyone who saw anything suspicious is asked to call police on 0345-60-60-365.