DENVER—Police and the Secret Service have determined a suspicious object found on the ground near an ATM at a Westminster bank was a “skimming device,” or a tool used to steal credit or debit card information.
The device was found April 23 at a First Bank branch in the Denver suburb. Police believe it had been attached to the ATM scanner with an adhesive, but they don’t know how long it was there.
The device has been sent to a Secret Service lab for further examination.
Westminster police say skimming devices read the magnetic strip on debit and credit cards as they’re inserted into an ATM. The culprits use the pilfered information to make counterfeit cards and steal account information.
Authorities say ATM users should be cautious when withdrawing money and tell their bank if an ATM keeps their card or appears to be tampered with.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
