Fraud Alert: ATM Skimmer Found at Dunwoody Bank

Dunwoody Police are reminding residents to be on guard for ATM card-skimming devices after a user found one attached to a machine at a local bank.

Officers were called to Sun Trust Bank, 1710 Mount Vernon Road, Monday night by a man trying to use the bank’s ATM machine. After the customer’s card was consistently rejected, he closely inspected the ATM machine and the card receptacle and found a skimmer attached, which he was able to remove.

“It is very important to be familiar with the ATM machines that we use on a regular basis and be aware when something looks suspicious,” the Dunwoody Police Department wrote on its Facebook page. “If you notice what appears to be a card-skimming device, Please call 911 immediately so that we may begin an investigation.”

ATM skimming is the theft of card information during legitimate transactions from ATMs. Thieves install electronic devices called skimmers over the normal card-reading slot of ATM machines. The skimmers record the data from the magnetic strip on the back of your card, says the BB&T banking website. A tiny camera is often hidden near a skimmer to record your PIN as it is entered.

Not sure what a card-skimming device looks like? This website shows various skimmers on ATMs, so you know what to look for.

And as a Facebook reader shared, it’s not a bad idea to use cash at gas stations and other spots where thieves might have an opportunity to attach skimming devices.

Banking websites and police have tips to help foil skimmers.

How to Protect Your ATM Card

• Use secure ATM machines under video surveillance or inside a bank lobby. They’re less likely to be tampered with.
• Pay careful attention to what the card reader and keypad normally look like on the ATMs you use most frequently.
• Don’t use an ATM if the card reader appears to be added on, fits poorly, or is loose. Some thieves place a fake box over the card slot that reads and records account and PIN numbers.
• Inspect the machine for items that were installed over or around the PIN pad of the ATM. Look for an attachment on the ATM that contains a small PIN hole that is pointed in the direction of the PIN pad.
• Lightly tug the area of the card slot. Most skimming devices are attached with double-sided tape for quick removal by the crooks.
• Cover the keypad with your other hand while typing your PIN. This is the best way to ensure that your PIN number is not recorded.

»Sceenshot of ATM from BB&T website

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