Cheryl Clemons is the latest victim of a crimewave hitting Brighton and Hove which has cost victims nearly £2 million in the past year.

A trickster stole her cash card and withdrew £1,000 before she could cancel it.

She said: "I felt such a fool. Now I want to warn everyone not to fall for the same trick and to report a lost or stolen card immediately."

Miss Clemons, 30 a project manager from Hanover, Brighton, was duped into believing a cash dispenser in London Road, Brighton, had swallowed her card.

In fact, the conman, standing behind her, had placed a device over the card slot which allowed him to retrieve it when she left the scene. He noted her personal number earlier by peeking over her shoulder when she punched in the digits.

Detective Sergeant Phil Waters, of Brighton and Hove police, said a number of such crimes had been reported this year. He said: "Everyone should be on their guard."

The Association for Payment Clearing Services (Apacs) today said the scam and others like it had put the city among the worst places in the UK for card conmen.

Banks and businesses in Brighton and Hove lost £1.7 million in the past 12 months and now Card Watch, Apacs' fraud prevention programme, is fighting back. Its campaign, Don't Stand 4 Fraud, will encourage shop staff to increase alertness and will show how to identify and prevent card fraud.

Cardholders will be warned to keep closer tabs on cards and to never reveal personal numbers.

Card Watch spokesman Mark Bowerman said counterfeit cards cost £161 million in the UK last year and fraud involving lost and stolen cards another £109 million.

The biggest problem, he said, was "skimming", where the data on a card's magnetic stripe was electronically copied by a corrupt member of staff at a retail outlet and used to make an illegal copy of a genuine card.

Often cardholders were unaware of the fraud until bank statements arrived showing purchases they did not make.

Mr Bowerman said next year's introduction of a chip card and personal number payment system in the UK would lead to a big reduction in most types of card fraud.