A Woolwich woman is warning others about a bank machine being tampered with.

Jody Hughes has taken to Plumstead People on Facebook about a suspicious hole-in-the-wall cashpoint at Woolwich Arsenal DLR station.

She said: “Watch out new scam bank machine at DLR station Woolwich arsenal. Where your money comes out a extra part has been screwed on take a closer look.

"There was a Greenwich Council warden there when I went to use the machine and he explained to me why not to use it."

Photos show a piece of metal having been screwed onto the cash dispenser stopping anything coming out.

Several people on the Facebook post said the machine had been reported, including a man whose money wasn't dispensed.

It can be difficult to know whether a machine has been tampered with but here are some tips from Action Fraud.

Protect yourself

Check a cash machine every time you use one. Always cover the keypad when entering your PIN and don’t make it obvious which buttons you’re pressing.

Take a look around you. If someone’s standing too close, get your card back without withdrawing any money and walk away.

Your safety is the most important thing. Don’t approach anyone you think has been acting suspiciously and if you find loose parts on the machine don’t take them away with you.

Spot the signs

You find a wobbly or bulky part that doesn’t seem to belong with the machine, such as a cover over the card slot or a loose keypad.

Purchases and withdrawals start appearing on your account that you don’t remember making.

Some cash machines are built entirely by fraudsters. Be cautious using a ‘standalone’ machine, rather than a ‘hole in the wall’, which is embedded in the front of a building such as a bank.

How it happens

There are a number of ways fraudsters can use a cash machine to steal your card or banking details.

They may attach a skimmer to the card slot. This is a small device that fits over the card slot and made to look like a normal part of the cash machine. It’s designed to copy the information on the magnetic strip of your card when you insert it, leading to bank account fraud.

An alternative to a skimmer is a card trap, which is slid inside the real card slot so the card won’t come out again once you’ve finished using the machine. Once you’ve left the area, the fraudsters remove the trap from the slot along with your card.

How to report it

Make sure you have your card issuer’s emergency number with you. If your card is held by a cash machine for whatever reason, call your bank straight away to make sure the card can’t be used. Then report it to us online or call 0300 123 2040.