Old fashioned armed bank robberies were once the favourite method that criminals would use to steal money. But as bank security has become more sophisticated, criminals have since turned to more high-tech ways to steal your money. Over the last few years, criminals have begun to target ATMs and managed to steal some 30 million in fraudulent withdrawals last year.

There are three known methods that criminals use to steal your card and pin information. The first has been nicknamed "Shoulder surfing" and involves the thief looking over your shoulder in order to ascertain your PIN number whilst you type it in. They then attempt to steal your bank card via pick pocketing or other distraction techniques and empty your account.

This method is easy to avoid - simply cover your hand when entering your PIN number and beware of people standing unusually close to you. In some parts of the world, cash machines have mirrors built around them so that you can see anybody behind you, which helps prevent this method.

More sophisticated methods of robbery include a card trapping device known as a "Lebanese Loop". This is a small flat device that is inserted into the cash machine's card slot, which traps the card when it's entered. Again, the criminal watches over your shoulder to steal your pin number, and when you give up and leave, the criminal removes the device allowing them to steal the card.

The most high tech method of stealing money from a current account utilises a machine called a "skimmer". This device is attached to the card entry slot and a separate miniature pinhole video camera is hidden that overlooks the PIN pad. The customer can withdraw money without any loss of the card, but the machine steals the information and allows the thief to later make a counterfeit card, and they can use the video footage to view the PIN number. The device and camera are often very well disguised as other objects and transmit the video in real time to the criminals who may be waiting nearby in their car.

tend to be more at risk than other types of account (such as savings accounts), as they tend to be used more often, and other types of account don't always have a cash card linked to them.

The best way to protect your bank account from this type of theft is to first check the ATM to see if any suspicious attachments are there. If so, do not use the machine and report it to the bank or police immediately. Always use your spare hand to cover your PIN when typing it in, so that even if a camera were present, your number would not be revealed. And finally, always check your current account statements to make sure there are no unusual transactions taking place.