Metro Police are asking customers who may have used the ATM at the SunTrust Bank on Johnson Square to check their accounts for inappropriate charges after a "skimmer" was found attached to the maching last week. It was a customer who noticed the device and alerted police. A "skimmer" is a device that thieves attach to an ATM to record bank card and PIN numbers. It was discovered attached to the Suntrust ATM last Thurday afternoon.
The director of SCMPD's Financial Crimes Division, Sgt. Keith Edwards, said skimmers can be attached to the machines in various ways. Some simply record the numbers on the cards as they are inserted into the machine then video the PIN numbers as they are being entered. Others read the magnetic strips for information. Some transmit this information to thieves nearby who then have access to the customers’ accounts.
The devise found last week recorded information off the magnetic strip and stored it for retrieval later. Police believe the device was found before any information was provided, but advise customers who used the ATM to check with their banks to be safe. Sgt. Edwards said SunTrust Corporate Security told him similar devices have been found on ATMs in Tennessee. Customers who used the ATM before early Thursday afternoon (St. Patrick’s Day), should check their accounts to determine if any unauthorized charges were made. If any are found, please contact your bank immediately and call the Financial Crimes Division of Metro Police at 651-6735.
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