A U.K. 17-year-old risked life and limb by removing a fake fascia of an ATM machine. The nearby crooks gave chase and the hero, Luke Bridges, had to run for his life.

So what was the reward for this daring-do? A pocket calculator...

Maybe that would have been a cool gift in 1978, but I'm guessing it only cost the bank around a dollar and looks like one of those free giveaway items.

The bank, NatWest, reiterated in a statement that no one should risk removing one of these devices:

"We would never encourage anyone to put their safety at risk by attempting to remove any such device. We advise anyone who notices anything unusual about a cash machine to report it to the bank or the police immediately."

Probably good advice. In any case, the story gives you a good look at what these PIN skimming devices look like. Pay close attention to the machine whenever you go to use an ATM.

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