Thieves using ATM skimmers are back. Actually, they didn’t really ever leave. But they are back more aggressively than they have recently been.
It’s been reported that over the last few months there has been a dramatic increase in the number of ATM skimmer cases in the Northwest. Below is a link to an article, provided by one of our security service providers.
One thing to note, after reading the below article, is that the skimmer devices are almost identical to the original equipment installed on ATMs. The best way to determine if there is a skimmer device, is to physically wiggle the card reader and inspect the keypad. Below is a link to this article that explains more about skimmers and is worth the read.
If you discover a device or something that looks a bit “hinky,” do not use that ATM. Report it to the business where it is located, let us know, and/or inform the police via their non-emergency number. Take note that most of these devices are only installed for a short period of time, then they are removed to download the data. This means the bad guys are lurking nearby.
PCMag provides a great overview of what ATM skimmers might look like.