A fake front was discovered on a cashpoint last month

The equipment was discovered outside a supermarket in Redcar.

Last month, a customer dislodged a fake front on a machine outside a bank in Guisborough which contained a mini computer to record card details.

Cleveland Police are warning people to be extra vigilant for anything unusual about the cash machines and take measures to protect their details.

They say the cameras are hidden above the cash point keyboards and allow pictures to be relayed back to the thieves who take the PIN number details.

'Sophisticated devices'

They then use the camera together with a card skimming device to take money out of accounts.

Victims only find out they have been targeted when they find money missing.

Detective Constable Christine Bell, from the fraud squad, said: "During the Easter break anyone withdrawing money from a cash machine must be vigilant and place either their hand or a newspaper over the keypad whilst they enter the PIN number to shield it from the camera these thieves are using.

"These fraudsters are obviously still operating in our area and are using quite sophisticated devices and authentic looking attachments in the machines.

"If anyone has any reservations about using the cash machines it's probably safer to get cash back from the supermarket till."