Three men have been jailed after targeting a pensioner in London with the “Lebanese loop” scam at a cashpoint.
The men in their twenties were sentenced to 12 months after being caught on CCTV scamming a 79-year-old pensioner by diverting him after tampering with the machine.
The three fraudsters had rigged the cash point in Bethnal Green, so bank cards would get stuck inside it, before watching their victim enter his PIN number.
They then reassured the pensioner that the card would not come out, before using the “Lebanese loop” – a strip of metal or plastic – to retrieve the card and defraud its owner after he had left the scene.
Investigating officer PC Helen Jarvest, of Limehouse police station, said: “This was a despicable crime committed against an elderly victim who thought he was being helped when in fact he was being tricked into becoming a victim of crime.
“Should your bank card get stuck in a cash machine then be wary of people who may pretend to help you and certainly make sure nobody is close enough to see you type in your PIN number”, she added”
For further information visit the Met Police website.
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