Yang Chang Cai, 33, Deng Cong Cong, 29, and Lian Yu, 35, came to the provincial capital Vinh last month and systematically attached electronic devices to several ATMs to collect customers' data, which they then used to forge fake cards, the police said.

Officers arrested the three as they were leaving Nghe An acting on complaints from the affected banks.

The police seized three electronic devices equipped with cameras, three card slots and 333 fake bank cards from the trio, who had reportedly used 22 fake cards to withdraw around VND300 million ($12,880) from a number of accounts.

The three reportedly had carried out similar thefts elsewhere in Vietnam too.

The police are investigating.