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Cash machine gives double money Scores of people queued up to use a cash machine after it started giving out double the money requested. The dispenser, outside a Sainsbury's store in Barham Road, Hull, attracted a big crowd hoping to take advantage of the fault, on Tuesday night. Police officers were eventually sent to guard the machine and prevent more money from being taken out. The fault is thought to have affected cash machines at supermarkets across the city. It is not yet known whether the customers will have to repay the cash or how much money was taken out. Theft charges A spokeswoman for Humberside Police said: "Officers received a report that a cash machine on Barham Road was giving double money to customers. "Officers were deployed and an attempt made to contact the owners of the machine and officers remained at the scene to prevent more people from taking more money out." The spokeswoman said those who benefited from the fault could be traced and face theft charges, but investigations would only take place if the operator made a complaint. Sainsbury's said the cash machine did not belong to Sainsbury's Bank so she could not comment on how much money was lost or whether it would have to be repaid. "At the time we heard that it might also be happening at Morrisons and Asda stores in the Hull area," she said. The dispenser is owned by a company called Payzone, a spokesman later confirmed. 'Wrong notes' He said the fault was due to the machine being filled with the wrong denomination of notes. An investigation was under way into the incident and the machine had been taken out of service, he added. The Payzone spokesman said: "The cash in transit company which is contracted to service this ATM has filled it up with the wrong denomination of notes, which means it is paying out double." He could not say how much money had been taken out of the machine, or whether it would have to be paid back. It was understood that a number of cash machines owned by other companies had also been affected by this problem in Hull, he added. |