The local skimming of bank cards raises the spectre of losing huge amounts of money.

Your article (May 26) seeks to reassure readers that the banks will reimburse customers who are the victims of banking crimes. This is not true.

The banks make promises such as this one from a leading bank’s website: ‘If you use our online service and become a victim of online fraud, we guarantee you won’t lose any money from your account, and will always be reimbursed in full.’ Despite such assurances, banks are becoming increasingly reluctant to reimburse you if you are a victim of banking fraud.

One in four people have fallen victim to banking fraud, and one in five of those never get their money back, reports Which? Magazine.

For example, one leading bank turned down one customer’s request for a refund of more than £2,000 of cash withdrawals that he claimed he had never made.

So how do banks wriggle out of their promise to reimburse customers who have been the victim of banking crime? Easy!

They say, without having to provide any evidence to support the claim, that the customer must have revealed their details (PIN, etc) to the criminal! Banking security ultimately comes down to you taking every precaution possible as listed in the Echo article ‘Tips to avoid cash thefts.’

Geoff Kirby, College Lane, Weymouth