WESTMINSTER — Westminster police and the Secret Service have determined that a suspicious device found at an area bank is a skimming device.
The information-stealing gadget was found April 23 on the ground next to a FirstBank ATM at West 94th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard. The ATM was last serviced March 22, but police haven’t determined how long the skimmer was on the ATM.
The device, which was attached to the ATM scanner using an adhesive, has been sent to a Secret Service laboratory for further examination.
Skimming devices read the magnetic strip on a card as it’s inserted into the ATM.
Detectives and the Secret Service believe this is the first ATM skimming device found in the metro area that is self-powered and has the ability to scan and store information.
Other, less sophisticated devices can trap and keep your card inside the machine for the perpetrator to recover later.
“It has not been determined what level of information this skimming device is capable of recording,” Investigator Trevor Materasso said.
Authorities warn people to be extremely cautious when withdrawing money from ATMs.
The recovered skimming device was initially mistaken for a piece of the ATM that had fallen off.
“It doesn’t stand out, it doesn’t have blinking lights to get your attention,” Materasso said. “This type of device can be attached to any ATM, at any financial institution at any location.”
If an ATM machine keeps your card or appears to have been tampered with, immediately report it to the bank.
