Discovery Exposes Risk of Using ATM on Weekends

Be sure to look ATMs over carefully before inserting your debit or credit card. Two skimming devices, similar to this one, were discovered in southeast Michigan this week. (Photo via Wikispaces / Creative Commons)

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Police in Canton are urging residents to take a make a quick visual check of automated teller machines before withdrawing cash with their debit and credit cards after the discovery this week of two skimming devices.

The skimming devices, which are typically placed over the card reader, contain cameras that allow scammers to obtain information such as the customer’s PIN and the debit card numbers. Look for anything such as a false front, and give the reader itself a tug to make sure it hasn’t been modified, Canton Police Lt. Craig Wilsher told WXYZ.

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Because the investigation is ongoing, police aren’t saying exactly where the skimming devices were discovered, but confirmed they were found at a Canton bank.

They were discovered by a customer who noticed the ATM wasn’t working as it should.

“He alerted us and we went and discovered the devices that were attached to the ATM,” Wilsher said. “There was a device that was placed over the card reader and there was also a camera that was placed on the ATM in order to capture PINs.”

Wilsher said thieves typically place the skimmers on ATMs after hours on Friday, then return to retrieve them on Sunday before routine banking hours begin on Monday.