MOTORISTS are being warned not to dump credit card receipts in forecourt bins following a spate of fraud incidents.

Detective Sergeant Paul Richardson from Redcar CID said that motorists paying for petrol by credit or debit card are throwing the slips into nearby bins.

At night, fraudsters are rummaging through these bins, collecting the tickets and buying goods through telesales by reading out the numbers on the slips.

Det Sgt Richardson warned people to dispose of their credit card slips safely and asked retailers to make extra checks before agreeing a sale over the telephone.

"People are really surprised when it happens because they don't always realise when money has gone out of their account and they don't think about holding on to the receipt. They do get the money back eventually but it is very difficult," he said.