Kay Buckley from Maynooth, whose laser card was robbed in a carpark outside Tesco

A woman has been left out of pocket to the tune of €10,000 after falling victim to a new credit and laser card scam. Gardaí have confirmed that there are currently several live investigations into a fraud that has targeted grocery store shoppers.


The fraud involves two men standing on either side of the shoppers as they enter their pin number into the machine at the supermarket checkout in order to memorise the number.


The men then follow the shopper to their car. One distracts the shopper by asking for directions from a map laid out on a bonnet next to the car, while the other swipes the individual's credit cards from the other side of the vehicle.


Kay Buckley from Maynooth is one of the latest victims of the scam.


"I couldn't believe it when I found out I had lost €10,000. Last month, I was shopping in my local Tesco, not paying attention to other people around me and brought my shopping out to my car. No sooner had I sat down and there was a tap on the window and a man was asking me directions on how to get to Galway.


"I just thought that this poor man was hopelessly lost, and got out to show him where to go. I did get the impression he wasn't listening to a word I was saying. Next of all he packed up the map in a hurry, said thanks and was off. I went home and didn't notice the cards missing until after the weekend," says Buckley.


She alerted Tesco and gardaí as soon as she became suspicious that her cards had been stolen. She realised that she was a victim of the fraud after being shown CCTV footage from the supermarket. Gardaí have confirmed they are investigating the incident.


Buckley has hit out at AIB after they wrote to her saying that because the correct PIN and card were used together, it was an authorised transaction and she would not be reimbursed.


"I am the victim of a criminal process. I cannot see how I should be left with this massive hole in my bank account especially now coming up to Christmas," she said.


A spokesman for Tesco said: "We are aware of the incident in Maynooth and have sent a detailed report to the gardaí."