Two fraudsters have been jailed for a total of 24 months after they stole money by placing a device on a cash machine.

Ionut Tataru and Ciprian Dobosstole personal information and trapped cards between January and February using a scanner attached to an ATM outside NatWest in Ashford Road, Bearsted.

The pair later retrieved the device and used a stolen card to take more than £2,000 from one woman's account.

Tataru and Dobos, both 25, and of Red Lodge Road in West Wickham committed further offences at a machine in High Street, Borough Green.

They were arrested when police stopped the car they were travelling in and uncovered a number of card skimming devices and tools, as well as a bank card belonging to a victim.

“It is abundantly clear that if you hadn’t been caught you would have gone on to perpetrate similar frauds on other people” - Recorder Ed Connell

Both men were jailed for one year at a Maidstone Crown Court hearing, having previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.

Recorder Ed Connell was told the two Romanians had come to the UK “with good intentions”. They had put their hands up and knew where they were going.

The judge said there must have been a risk of further loss as Dobos and Tataru had the equipment at their disposal.

There had been numerous reports to police in January and February about customers having difficulties with ATMs at NatWest banks and then amounts coming out of their accounts.

“It is abundantly clear that if you hadn’t been caught you would have gone on to perpetrate similar frauds on other people,” said Recorder Connell.

“I am told you both came to the UK for legitimate reasons. You both intended to work here.”

Dobos was quick to behave dishonestly because he could not find work. He needed money to send home to Romania.

“It explains your behaviour but it doesn’t excuse it,” the judge continued.

Tataru arrived in 2011 and worked legitimately but then lost his job.

“This was sophisticated and organised over a sustained period of time with a large number of victims,” said Recorder Connell. “You were both actively involved in running the enterprise.

“It could be argued you were caught red-handed and had little alternative but to plead guilty.

Investigating officer Det Con Sarah Jacobs said: "Tataru and Dobos repeatedly stole account details and cards in order to defraud people out of several thousands of pounds. Neither of these men worked and instead funded a comfortable lifestyle at the expense of considerable stress to their victims.

"However, when they were stopped by police the evidence of their criminality was clear to see. They even had a satnav programmed in their car to show locations of other cash machines in the area they had been driving in.

"These are certainly not victimless crimes and it is pleasing that that the courts have punished these men with custodial sentences."