FOUR ATMs in Southend were found to be hacked.

The Southend Community Policing Team are urging people to take extra care when withdrawing money from ATMs following the discovery of "Lebanese Loops" in four cash machines across the town centre on Friday night.

A spokesman for the police said: "A Lebanese Loop was found on a ATM cash machine at WH Smiths High Street Southend as well as three other cash machines in the town centre last night.

"A sign of an ATM hack is 'loose slot'. So, in case the slot appears wobbly or loose, it indicates the presence of a 'Lebanese Loop', which is a small plastic device with a barb that holds your card or your cash back in the machine.

"You may think the machine has swallowed your card or it has been stuck."

Police have issued the below advice to people to spot the hacked ATMs.

Anyone with concerns or believe they have spotted a hacked machine should report it to police on 101 or online at essex.police.uk. 

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