Bank card conmen are using a device called the Lebanese loop to raid accounts, police said today.

The conmen place a magnetic ribbon into a cashpoint before standing by and watching as the card user sees their card swallowed by the machine.

The culprits then approach the person pretending to help, saying they can retrieve their card by inputting their PIN number.

Police say the criminal memorises the PIN number and, when the card holder gives up and leaves, uses the loop to fish the card out.

He then raids the account, leaving most people unaware they have fallen victim until days later.

Police urged people to be wary of others standing by while using cash machines and said stolen cards should be reported immediately.

Officers say criminals have recently been operating in Hastings and St Leonards but other Lebanese loop cases have been reported across Sussex.

They advised people not to carelessly discard receipts or card statements and warned people to check their receipts carefully in case of any suspicious transactions.