Credit card scams at Morrisons in Horndean and Asda in Gosport have been linked to a sophisticated card-cloning factory in Birmingham.

Two men have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to defraud after a dawn raid by the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit (DCPCU), the special police unit that tackles card fraud crime.

Police believe customers had their PIN numbers taken at the supermarkets, with their cards cloned in Birmingham before being used in transactions around the world.

Dozens of shoppers at Morrisons and Asda were stunned when thousands of pounds were withdrawn from their accounts in far-flung places such as Nigeria and Trinidad.

Police said they were still investigating how the gang may have tampered with the chip-and-pin machines.

Mark Bowerman, spokesman for APACS, the UK Payments Association, which is working with DCPCU, said: 'It normally happens in one of three ways.

'A member of staff may be paid to turn a blind eye.

'Sometimes someone will pose as a workman and install the device.

'Or one of these criminals will get a job at the store and gain the trust of staff.'

Police believe more than 30 shops – mainly around London and the south east – have been hit by the scam.

Detective Chief Inspector John Folan, who heads up the DCPCU, said: 'These arrests are a significant development in our fight against the organised criminal gangs responsible for this type of fraud.

'We are sending a very clear warning to fraudsters that these crimes will not be tolerated and that we will continue to target them and disrupt their fraudulent activity.'

One of the victims, Adrian Cowling, 56, of Clanfield, said: 'I am just flabbergasted this is so rife.

'I find it quite disturbing. As far as I am concerned I do not know who you can trust now.

'If you put your card in a machine you expect it to be safe – but obviously it's not.'


@thenews.co.uk