photo courtesy of Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Westwood NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office conducted a spot check for skimmer devices at ATM machines , and the good news, no skimmer devices found during this random spot check.
Do you know what a skimmer is? Do you check before you swipe your card? Did you know skimming devices planted by criminals on ATM’s and other card payment readers racked up roughly $3.9 billion in losses during 2017 (according to one study by a credit card company)? #Skimming your debit or credit card number, and stealing your pin number, is a real risk.
That’s why the Westwood Police Department teamed up with the BCPO’s Cyber Crimes Unit to spot check area ATM’s in Westwood today, looking for a skimmer device before victims lose any more money to these scammers.
Using new techniques and advanced equipment, the BCPO and local police are on the hunt for fraudsters who might try to compromise a card reader.
Detectives and police officers from BCPONJ and Westwood Police were proactively checking, and will continue to be spot checking often.
Always check for yourself each visit to an ATM or point-of-sale reader before you swipe or dip your card…for example, you may be able to feel for the skimmer by tugging on the card reader portion. Also, look for foreign objects on the ATM and be suspicious of anything unusual about the card reader.
If you’re not sure, ask an employee of the bank or retailer for help before you swipe your card. And, of course, notify the Westwood PD if you suspect a skimmer is attached to a card reader, or the local police wherever you are.
Today, while in Westwood, TD Bank staff joined officers during spot checks and shared tips with one another for ATM overall safety and fraud prevention.
Far from clear how to “check” an ATM for this.
RE: “If you’re not sure, ask an employee of the bank or retailer for help before you swipe your card. “
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Doesn’t this defeat the entire purpose of an ATM?.
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