New Parking Machine Scam Hits Putney
Police warn of fraudsters pretending to be traffic wardens
Parking machines do not swallow bank cards. Picture: Wandsworth Council
December 16, 2025
The police have issued a warning about fraudsters in the vicinity of East Putney station.
They have recently stolen a number of bank cards successfully taking £500 from one victim’s account with the scammer claiming to be a traffic warden
The criminals approach people at parking machines looking to pay for parking with their bank card. They tell them that the machine is broken and then offer to find a working machine. If the bank card is handed over the ‘Good Samaritan’ runs off and withdraws cash or pays for goods in local shops.
In similar cases a ‘Lebanese Loop’ device has been employed to interfere with the working of the payment on the machine. The thieves look over the shoulder of their victim as they try and retry their PIN.
The police warning, which was issued through the Met Engage system says, “They are clever at deception pretending to be kind. Some have managed to acquire the pin number too.”
There have been several scams relating to road traffic fines carried out in Putney. In 2022, the council issued a warning about fake enforcement officers targeting elderly people who had parked near doctor’s surgeries or shops. They claimed they have caught the victim speeding and march them to a pay and display machine to enter their details, or they tell blue badge holders that there is a new policy for blue badges and they must enter their card details at the machine.
They then inform the victim that their card been swallowed up by the parking machine and pretend to ring the number on the machines to report it. Another scammer is on the phone and claims an operative will come out to investigate the issue. Meanwhile the victim’s bank card is used to withdraw money directly from their bank account.
In 2019, a scammer approached a woman in Putney saying that he was unable to pay for parking as he didn’t have a bank card. He offered to give her £10 if she paid on her credit card. When she put her car in the machine it appeared to be faulty and, as in the previous scam, the thief pretended to report the incident. However, he had by this time managed to pocket the card and used at two cash points in Putney despite it being reported as lost within half an hour.
It is impossible for parking machines to retain bank cards unless they have been tampered with. Pay and Display machines are manufactured so that cards can only be inserted part of the way.
If anyone approaches you when you go to pay for parking, you are advised to be cautious and never insert your card into a parking machine when someone you do not know is present. The fraudsters often target older residents.
If you have been a victim of fraud, cancel your card and contact Action Fraud on actionfraud.police.uk
In an emergency call 999 or report a crime by calling 101 or online at met.police.uk.
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