A young person in Harrogate has fallen victim to an ATM scam after being approached by two men pretending to need help.
Harrogate youngster scammed in "broad daylight" after approach by two men A young person in Harrogate has fallen victim to an ATM scam after being approached by two men pretending to need help. North Yorkshire Police is warning residents of the new 'in person' swindle that has seen young people in both Harrogate and Thirsk lose money to scammers. The men, who have Irish accents, pretend that they need help, stating that their bank cards don’t work in the UK, and request that money is withdrawn from an ATM by the victim and handed to them. The victim is assured any money given will be refunded via a transfer to the victim’s account. No such transfer is made, the money is stolen, leaving the victim out of pocket. No threats are made, but the circumstances of the approach left the victims feeling intimidated. A police spokesperson said:
"If you are approached in this way, politely refuse to help, and try to move away. "Only when it is safe to do so, please report the approach to the Police, noting any details, especially any vehicle details on 101, option 1. "If you see this happening, and it is safe to do so, please call 999."Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.