PETALUMA — Police in Petaluma on Monday warned locals that authorities found a number of credit card skimming devices installed at a Bank of America branch and three 7-Eleven locations since Friday.
Credit/debit card skimmers are devices used to collect account information which can then be used to make unauthorized purchases. The devices are often hard to detect by those who are unfamiliar with the surreptitiously installed devices.
According to a press release, on Friday an alert ATM technician doing maintenance on ATMs at the Bank of America branch on Kentucky Street located two skimming devices on the machines with cameras arranged to watch the keypads. Police said evidence was collected from the bank and is being evaluated for potential leads.
On Monday, Petaluma police were notified of additional skimmer devices located at three different 7-Eleven stores located on Howard Street, Perry Lane and on D Street. While the investigation into who placed the devices is ongoing, Petaluma police wanted to warn the public of where the skimmers were found.
Some simple tips to avoid being victimized by a credit-card skimmer include doing a visual and physical inspection of the card reader at any ATM, gas pump or cash machine. Users are advised to look for alignment issues or anything making the card reader stick out at an odd angle.
If the security seals appear to have been tampered with users should avoid using the card reader. Consumers should also regularly monitor credit and debit card activity by checking bank statements and online accounts. Additional tips can be found here.
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