SCAMMERS are targeting tram passengers in Radcliffe by tampering with ticket machines.

Transport officials have warned customers to be on their guard when purchasing tickets at the Metrolink station in Spring Lane after several reports of machines not giving change.

The offenders have been stuffing pieces of cardboard inside the machines to prevent change being given and then returning to collect the money.

Metrolink staff have since been despatched to the station to advise passengers and inspect the machines.

A Transport for Greater Manchester spokesman said: “We are aware that ticket machines at the Radcliffe Metrolink stop have been tampered with to prevent passengers from collecting their change.

“We take issues such as this extremely seriously and are working closely with police officers from the TravelSafe Unit to catch the perpetrators.

“Staff have been deployed to the stop to prevent further incidents and offer advice to customers.

“I would encourage anyone who has information about those behind this scam to contact Greater Manchester Police on 101.”

Passengers travelling from the station on Tuesday said they were unaware of any scam, though several reported being given the wrong amount of change, including one woman who was given £4 back after inserting £3 for her ticket.

Dave Thomas, who was travelling towards Bury, said: “I haven’t heard anything about it but I’m not surprised – that sort of thing has been going on for years. People need to be careful and there should be something posted at the station telling you that there’s a risk.”

Fellow passenger Julie Jackson added: “Passengers should be notified if there’s a scam going on. It’s a shame that they have decided to target us, especially because a lot of people probably won’t bother to report it to anyone.”

Police have also identified a number of suspects in relation to a cash machine scam at a town centre bank.

A number of incidents have been reported at the Barclays ATM, in Blackburn Street, with officers recovering several scamming devices attached to the machine over the past few months.

The devices prevent debit cards from being returned by the machine, which then appears to be out of order, while a camera placed nearby records customers entering their PIN number.

The offenders, who run the scam at night to prevent people going inside the bank for help, would then take the card to the nearest cashpoint and withdraw as much money as possible.