POLICE are warning people to be vigilant and security conscious when withdrawing money from cashpoints after an attempted attack on a woman in Loughton.
The 70-year-old was attempting to withdraw money from the Abbey machine at the BP petrol station in the Broadway on Tuesday, April 25, when two men began acting suspiciously.
Police said the woman was having difficulty with the machine as she had forgotten her spectacles and the men offered to help by keying in her number for her.
The PIN was entered incorrectly too many times and the card was withheld by the machine.
Detective Sergeant Simon Werrett said: "We would like to thank three Epping Forest College students who realised what these men were trying to do and frightented them off by intervening.
"They potentially saved the woman from losing some of her savings."
The two men drove off in a Vauxhall Corsa car.
A police spokesman said: "People using ATMs are advised to be aware of who is near them when extracting their money."
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