Up to 500 credit and debit cardholders have had money taken from their accounts following an Auckland ATM scam.

ANZ and National Bank cash machines in Parnell, Ponsonby, Takapuna and Howick were affected and there have been further reports of scams being carried out in Northcote and Orewa.

Fraudsters, thought to be from overseas, fitted a device over the card slot to collect information from accounts while a small camera records pin numbers.

Money is then transferred from the account in a scam known as "skimming".

Victim Jacques Ninzigamiye told the New Zealand Herald he had $1300 taken from his account and deposited into an unknown Bangkok account after using a Northcote ATM.

Up to 500 cards were used during the days in which the ATMs were targeted, the NZ Herald reported.

An ANZ spokesman said the ATM machines had all been fitted with anti-skimming devices and "sophisticated fraud protection software providing constant, live reports".

But the fraudsters had beaten the technology.

"Unfortunately, this is a game of cat and mouse," he told the New Zealand Herald.

"As fast as ATM manufacturers and banks come up with ways to prevent this happening, the fraudsters come up with ways to overcome those measures."

Customers who were known to have used the machines were being contacted. Anyone who had lost money would be reimbursed, ANZ said.

Police are advising ATM users to cover their hand when entering pin numbers in an effort to avoid being scammed.