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| An ATM skimmer was found Monday at this Southport Corridor CVS Pharmacy, police said. | Google |
An ATM skimming device, planted to steal victims’ debit card numbers and PINs, was discovered at a Lakeview pharmacy Monday morning.
The finding comes less than a month after Chicago police announced that more than a dozen of the devices had been found recently in Lakeview, Lincoln Park, and downtown.
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| Criminals capture debit card data by affixing fake skimmers like this one over the top of ATM slots. |
This morning’s skimmer was found on an ATM at the Southport Corridor CVS Pharmacy, 3637 North Southport. The rigging included a substitute swiper to capture card information and a camera to record victims’ fingers as they entered their PINS on the keypad.
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| A card skimmer dangles after being pulled from an ATM’s card slot. |
In October, a skimmer was found on an ATM at Fifth Third Bank in the 600 block of West Diversey. Others were recovered from Walgreens in the 1500 block of West Fullerton on September 26 and the Walgreens at in the 1600 block of West Belmont on October 2, police said.
Police are encouraging ATM users to inspect the machines, looking for any irregularities or loose parts, before using them. The card reader slot and PIN pad should not wiggle or have extra pieces visible.
Give everything a good pull. Real ATM parts are built to take a beating. Nothing should move or pop off.
“If there is any type of irregularity or issue in placing the card into the card slot, do not use the ATM,” a police alert warned.
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| Some skimming set-ups utilize keypad lay-overs instead of cameras to capture PIN data. |
Investigators also suggested covering your hand when you enter your PIN so hidden cameras cannot pick up your secret code.
Anyone with information about skimming incidents is asked to call the Chicago Police Financial Crimes Unit at (312) 746-9661.
