THIEVES emptied a grandmother’s bank account after fitting an cash machine with a card-stealing device.

Linda Jones used the ATM at Natwest, in London Road, Lexden, on Sunday at about 5pm.

But when she put her PIN into the machine, her card was swallowed.

Mrs Jones, 67, assumed the machine had legitimately taken her debit card but by the time she got home and called her bank, £250 had already been withdrawn from her bank account using a cash machine in a nearby Ladbrokes betting shop.

A second large transaction was pending on her account but her bank’s anti-fraud team blocked it.

The thieves went on to withdraw more cash in Colchester town centre and in total, they took up to £1,250, including other pending transactions.

Mrs Jones' daughter, Victoria Munson, 37, said: “I think in this instance mum was really lucky.

“She didn’t wait until Monday to call the bank, she went home and she called them straight away.

“But even by then, they had taken out money from Ladbrokes and they said another transaction was pending.

“Mum is lucky because she’s retired and has other money she could use but for a lot of people that’s not the case.

"Natwest said it looked like the card thieves had cleared her account.”

Mum-of-three Mrs Munson, who lives in Colchester, added: “Mum uses that machine a lot. as it’s only around the corner.

“She actually went back to her partner in the car first and said she said something wasn’t right with it but she used it anyway and, of course, her card was taken.”

By the time Mrs Jones’ partner returned to the cashpoint, the device, described as an extra bit of kit attached to the ATM card slot, had been removed.

Mrs Munson added: “My message to people is, if you think something isn’t right with a cash machine, don’t use it.

"If your card is taken by a machine, call your bank while you wait at the machine and don’t leave.

“If the bank confirms it has been retained then you know it’s legitimate.

"If it is not, call the police because your account could be cleared.”

The matter is being investigated by Actionfraud.