| Nat West pledge CCTV coverage for cash machines Following a spate of robberies outside the High Road ATM security is to be enhanced Nat West Bank disclosed today that cameras are to be installed above the ATM machines on Chiswick High Road. The spot had become a target for thieves with most other ATMs in Chiswick covered by cameras and other town centres in West London having CCTV installed. Thieves targeted these specific machines with at least six incidents having occurred in the last few months. The police have said that a gang has been operating around this particular machine over the last few weeks in a distraction scam. The user of the machine is told that they have dropped a £5 note and when they bend to pick it up their card was snatched and put through a card-reader before being returned. Recently PC John Hollis of Chiswick Police station made an arrest at this spot when a member of the public called for assistance as this scam was attempted but this has not stopped the spate of thefts. Chiswick Police issued a warning to local people about ATM crime which is published on this site and appeared in the weekly newsletter. It contains details of how to avoid the most common ATM related scams. They confirm that most of the ATM related robberies are occurring at these machines. Thieves are also using a method called the "Lebanese Loop" in which a sheath of plastic is inserted into the machine. This makes it appear that the machine is out of order when you enter your card. Nat West told ChiswickW4.com today that the installation of cameras is to be assessed next week with a view to having them in place in the not too distant future. December 6, 2002 Sign up for our free weekly newsletter ATM Robberies - how to avoid them Latest figures show crime in Chiswick falling Crime in Chiswick - ward by ward Get notified of local crime through Ringmaster
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