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In Croton-on-Hudson, the local law enforcement officials launched an investigation after receiving multiple complaints over the past several days from bank-goers at the Wells Fargo location on Maple Street, Croton Police Chief John Nikitopoulos said.
The investigation found that an ATM inside the branch was compromised by a skimming device as of Thursday, March 17.
Anyone who may have used the ATM between March 17 and Wednesday, March 23 has been cautioned to check their bank accounts for any suspicious activities, Nikitopoulos said.
According to officials, skimming devices allow thieves to copy credit or debit card information, and it can often be difficult to determine that a device is attached to a payment terminal or ATM.
Police said that consumers should contact their banks or credit card companies by calling the number on the back of the card to obtain further information about protecting their identities
- Use familiar ATMs and limit visits. Restaurants, bars, and gas stations seem to be the places where card skimming incidents happen most frequently. Try to stick to using bank ATMs inside secure lobbies or visit a human teller;
- Check for tampering. Check for obvious signs of ATM tampering. If something looks different, such as a different color or material, graphics that aren’t aligned correctly, or anything else that doesn’t look right, don’t use that ATM;
- Wiggle everything. Even if you can’t see any visual differences, push at everything. ATMs are solidly constructed and generally don’t have any jiggling or loose parts;
- Cover your password with your hand. Hidden cameras are disguised so they can pick up your password. By protecting it, ATM thieves can’t access your account;
- Use caution. Be careful who you hand your card to, especially at unfrequented gas stations and restaurants, where unscrupulous employees may skim your card on portable skimming devices;
- Check your accounts regularly. Keep an eye on your bank and credit accounts regularly for signs of fraudulent activity, and report suspicious occurrences immediately to financial institutions.
“Skimmers are essentially malicious card readers that grab the data off the card’s magnetic stripe attached to the real payment terminals, so they can harvest data from every person that swipes their cards," officials said. "Most of the time, the attackers will also place a hidden camera somewhere in the vicinity with a view of the number pad in order to record personal identification numbers (PINs)."
If there are any withdrawal attempts that patrons did not make, local residents have been instructed to contact the Croton Police Department by calling (914) 271-5177 to file a report.
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