ATM users in Poole and Bournemouth are being urged to remain vigilant after a worrying wave of card skimming incidents.

While card fraud has dropped overall since the introduction of chip and pin technology, the practice of skimming is on the rise and has proved trickier to tackle.

Skimming occurs when a card's magnetic strip is scanned by a device placed inside an ATM, allowing criminals to produce a duplicate, and nets fraudsters more than £100m a year.

One Daily Echo reader was shocked to receive a call from his credit card company, who told him his card was being used in Sri Lanka, days after he'd used it to withdraw cash in Poole High Street.

Graham Harrall, from Bournemouth, also suffered at the hands of tricksters, who cashed in with a whopping £900 insurance payment on his copied card.

He said: "I was worried I would not get the money back. I was devastated and angry and did not know who to blame.

"People say it's just one of those things, but for the victim it's a demoralising time of discomfort and despair."

Christian Smyth, of Lilliput, spotted an unfamiliar internet transaction for £45 which alerted him to the fact his card had been skimmed.

He said: "I'm just thankful they didn't take more and rinse my account dry, or even max out my overdraft.

"It worries me this information is not as protected as you would hope and people who have access to it could be selling it on."

While many scams can be avoided using common sense and secure practices, skimming represents an almost imperceptible crime.

Lloyds TSB say they are fighting a "constant battle" against ATM crime.

Spokeswoman Eleanor Hughes said: "Staff regularly check machines for devices and if customers see one they should report it as there could be a criminal watching."

Barclays are confident they are winning the fight against the fraudsters after the introduction of anti-skimming devices on their cash machines.

Dan Godsall, area director at Barclays in Poole said: "The devices aim to prevent anything being attached to the machine.

"If anyone tries to do so, the ATM immediately closes down.

"We urge our customers to be vigilant at all times and to report anything suspicious to us or the police immediately."

A Which? Magazine survey suggested a quarter of UK adults have had their identity stolen or know someone who has fallen victim to ID fraud.

Dorset Police crime figures for April to December last year showed 1,179 fraud and forgery crimes reported, a 19 per cent fall from 2005.