THE number of confirmed victims of the international credit card cloning scam that struck a Kent town last week has risen to 140 – and the actual figure may be much higher.

A week ago, the Kentish Express reported that 48 people in Essella Road and Mabledon Avenue, Ashford, had had money withdrawn in Malaysia and Australia from their accounts, and asked other victims of the scam to get in touch with the newspaper.

Almost without exception, the 26 people who contacted us said they believed their cards had been cloned at the Jet garage in Hythe Road, at the junction of Essella Road and Mabledon Avenue.

This week, Murco Petroleum, the Hertfordshire-based firm which owns the garage, released a statement that said: "We are investigating allegations of card fraud at one of our sites in Ashford.

"We are co-operating fully with the police in their efforts to apprehend and successfully prosecute any individuals who were responsible for this crime.

"Murco Petroleum Limited takes allegations of card fraud at its service stations extremely seriously. Appropriate action will be taken if the allegations are substantiated."

Meanwhile the Neighbourhood Watch association which first raised the alarm about the spate of fraud, has taken the details of more than 100 victims

Essella Road Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Gill Clark said: "We’ve got 113 people, all within what we call the East Stour community group area. That’s just the people that have contacted me, so it will be many more."

"Everyone’s a bit happier now that Murco has made a statement. The feeling from the police is that the garage is probably the safest one in the area now."

The police have declined to comment on their investigation into the matter, although spokesman Rosy Alexander again urged consumers to hide their pin numbers when using their cards, and to check their bank balances regularly.