Christmas shoppers in Edinburgh are being warned against the latest ATM scams hitting high streets across Scotland this Christmas and New Year.

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) has issued a call for extra vigilance when withdrawing cash over one of the busiest periods of the year for shopping.

Over £11 billion is expected to be withdrawn by the public this winter, and fraudsters will be looking to target unsuspecting shoppers by tampering with ATMs.

Mark Anderson, Business Resilience Adviser, said: “Christmas and New Years are opportunistic times for criminals – almost every one of us will go to take out cash from an ATM at some point over the festive period.

“Criminals and scammers can manipulate ATMs in the most discreet ways – you might not even notice any difference or danger. Alongside physically tampering with ATMs, another tactic scammers use is to distract shoppers mid-transaction. 

“It really helps to use ATMs in daylight only, if at all possible. It’s also important to have your card ready, cover your pin with your hand, and make sure nobody is around looking over your shoulder.

“If you’re ever unsure about the safety of an ATM, it’s important to leave the machine alone and report it to Police Scotland on 101.”

SBRC’s full guide about ATM fraud is available at https://www.sbrcentre.co.uk/news/2019/december/atm-fraud-how-to-tell-if-a-cashpoint-has-been-tampered-with/