Grandmother fights off 'distraction thieves' at cash machine

‘I realised I was in a scam because I had seen this months previously in London on the TV’

A plucky 72-year-old grandmother fought back against scammers who attempted to steal her card.

CCTV shows how Eileen McCartney was targeted while withdrawing money and then grappled with the men. She says she was wise to the scheme after watching a television programme about distraction techniques.

She said: "It just clicked. I knew exactly what was going to happen. If I had not seen this on the TV he could have got away with a lot of money.”

Mrs McCartney, of Orrell, Wigan, had been withdrawing £20 in cash from Wigan's Natwest bank to pay for lunch when she was surrounded by three men who were also accompanied by one woman.

The retired carer who had a "substantial" amount of life savings in the account, was tapped on the shoulder by one man who pointed to a folded £20 note on the floor and gestured that it was hers.

But as she looked down, CCTV taken from within the bank shows another man switching her card with a counterfeit one as hers is ejected from the machine.

Mrs McCartney said her brain went into "quick mode" and immediately realised what was happening having seen a programme about such distraction techniques.

"I was putting my details into the machine when a gentleman on my side tapped me on my shoulder. He had put a £20 note down on the side but I hadn't known then, then pointed to the £20 note which was on the floor. I said 'no it doesn't belong to me' then I realised I was in a scam because I had seen this months previously in London on the TV."

She said it had been carried out with precision.

"I said 'you have my card'. He said 'no, no, no'. He pointed to the little slot in the card machine and there was a card in there and so I automatically thought I was accusing somebody of taking my card.

"But then I got hold of the card and looked at the back and it wasn't my card."

Mrs McCartney said she then saw her card with her signature on in the man's hand and "jumped up and grabbed" it back.

"I actually wasn't afraid but I was sort of angry that somebody could have come to take my money."

PC Rod Ashton from GMP's Wigan Division said that CCTV showed the culprits had been working together and that such distraction thefts were increasingly targeting the elderly.

He said: "They are targeting pensioners and they are going for our most vulnerable in society. That's why I want to catch these people and bring them to justice because it is wrong. She (Eileen) has fought back and it is absolutely fantastic what she has done."

The three men and the woman are still wanted in connection with this incident.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Additional reporting by Press Association