An elderly woman was left bewildered and upset after she was targeted while trying to withdraw her pension cash from an ATM in Catford.

Jean Smith, 76, was about to post a parcel in the post office in Rushey Green before she went to the ATM outside.

She entered her PIN when a well-dressed man "came out of nowhere" to say the machine was out of service and showed "balance only".

"I actually said thank you and he told me I could do it over the road," Jean told News Shopper.

When she tried to take money from nearby Santender the machine told her she had insufficient funds.

Staff inside put her through to a fraud team after accessing a paper statement which confirmed £100 had just been withdrawn from the post office ATM.

"I was shocked and felt like crying," Jean said. "It was my pension money. I didn't have any money to get the food I wanted and had to come back home again.

"I only just had enough to pay my rent."

Jean was unable to get an accurate description of the suspected scammer but said he was tall and smartly dressed.

She said she now feels anxious about going out in Catford, where she has lived for 20 years.

"It’s really horrible and it could happen to anyone," she added. "Someone might not have a family to help them. It’s terrible."

Her daughter, Tracy, took to Facebook to report the scam.

She warned: "Please be careful in Catford especially at the ATM machines.

"My elderly mum was getting her money from the machine outside the post office yesterday and was robbed of £100 of her pension money. Please be aware of scum who look out for vulnerable people to rob."

Jean has been told the money will be reimbursed into her account in the coming days.