(KRON) — Credit card skimmers have been found at multiple locations throughout the Bay Area over the course of the last week.
The Petaluma Police Department said they have recently found ATM credit card skimmers at four different locations. This past Saturday technicians working on two ATMs at a Bank of America location in downtown Petaluma found skimmers there.
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On Monday, the police department said that three more locations in Petaluma were found to have ATM skimmers. All skimmers that were found had been attached to credit card readers.
In some cases, the police found cameras pointed at the keypads apparently to record people’s pin numbers as they were putting them in. The police department said thieves will get the credit card information and pin numbers to make fraudulent purchases.
Last Friday in Sunnyvale, the Sunnyvale Police Department found skimmers at a Chevron-7-Eleven location along El Camino Real.
Now the police department is offering some advice for people who might be using ATMs:
- Check the ATM to make sure that all the pieces are snug and fit properly
- Avoid using a machine if anything is loose, looks unusual, or is sticking out.
Many locations, like 7-Eleven will have security tape. It is a little piece of red tape over the card reader. If that tape looks like it’s been tampered with in any way, you may want to avoid that machine as well.
Finally, keep an eye on your credit card history. Check to see if there are any unusual purchases happening.
