Police Warn ATM Users About Threat Of Skimmers
DENVER (CBS4) - Police are warning that skimmers, used to steal credit card information, are more popular than ever.
"I don't even know what a skimmer looks like," said one card user, Charlie Kerr.
An ATM skimmer is made of material that mimics the real ATM card slot, and is used to capture card numbers and record them for retrieval later.
It's important to make sure the card slot of an ATM is secure. If it's loose, that might mean someone tampered with the ATM in an attempt to steal users' money.
Some card users are catching on to the skimmers scam.
"I actually saw a video of those fake, the fraud where you can slide it in and they all of your information from there, so I always check," said user Heather Sherman.
Denver police issued a crime alert on Friday warning people to beware of skimming devices at area ATMs. In recent months, a number of them have been discovered in the metro area, including downtown Denver.
"Definitely going to check the slot where I stick my card in," Kerr said after learning this.
In November, the Regional Transportation District told CBS4 that eight fraudulent devices were found on ticket machines at the Dry Creek, Mineral and County Line Stations. RTD said a technician found the fakes just in time.
Then just weeks ago, CBS4 reported the devices were placed at the Park Meadows Mall.
"I've had, you know, people try to steal the card before, and I had to get a new card, it's just another thing I have to watch out for now," said Kerr.
Late Sunday night, RTD reported a man was arrested for placing skimmers at those RTD stations. However, the same is not true for the person who placed skimmers at the Park Meadows Mall.
Denver police have not said how many skimmers were placed around town, or how much might have been stolen.
