'Many of the ATMs looked quite a lot like this one,' explains elephant-brained Yin Zhao

A CHINAMAN is facing five years in jail after using his incredible memory for numbers to steal £20,000 from ATMs.

Yin Zhao, 27, can recognise any PIN or card number at a single glance and keep it stored in his memory for years, say police in Chengdu, central China.

He managed to pocket a small fortune in a two-year crime spree using debit and credit cards left behind in ATMs by forgetful owners.

Yin, seen here being taken back to a cash point in handcuffs by police to publicly show them how he did it, explained: “I checked the balance and it was more than I earn in a month.

“I reset her password and took all the money out. It was so easy I just couldn’t stop.”

The former computer added: “I would stare at every person coming in to use the ATM, and could tell immediately who was forgetful, and might leave the card in the machine.

“I can remember numbers I saw a year ago just for a second or two over someone’s shoulder.

“I just have that kind of memory,” he said, according to a report in the Austrian Times.