Metro Nashville Police and the F.B.I. arrested two men last week for allegedly putting a skimmer on an ATM.
According to a statement, Yorm Para, 27, and Victor Parra Mora, 31, placed a skimmer device on U.S. Bank’s ATM inside Publix at 15544 Old Hickory Boulevard, just a few miles outside the Brentwood city limits.
Credit and debit card skimming continues to be an issue in the region; last year there were several skimmers found at gas stations in Franklin.
But by being aware of how to spot the devices, citizens can not just avoid being scammed but help catch the criminals.
At the U.S. Bank at Publix, it was a customer who notified the bank of the skimmer, said MNPD:
US Bank notified detectives on Wednesday that a skimmer had been discovered by a customer after it had fallen off the ATM.
After the tip, authorities looked at surveillance video and saw that Para put the skimmer on the ATM on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning, and come back for it at night. On Wednesday night, however, the police were waiting. After he retrieved the skimmer, Para got into a rental car driven by Parra Mora. Fraud detectives and FBI agents took both men into custody. A skimmer device, card reader, and multiple encoded credit cards were recovered from the vehicle.
Parra Mora is charged with criminal simulation and is jailed in lieu of $10,000 bond. Para is charged with two counts of criminal simulation. His bond is set at $20,000.
Avoiding and Detecting ATM Skimmers
Look for Tampering
In the picture on top of this post, can you pick out what is wrong? The colors do not match and the yellow card acceptor is misaligned. When you go to the ATM, look for obvious signs of tampering. When you look at the top of the ATM, around the speakers, the side of the screen, the card reader itself or the keyboard. Signs of tampering include anything that looks scuffed, skewed, misaligned. Also, check to see that the colors match, the material is the same and that the graphics are aligned. If anything looks wrong, don’t use the machine and notify the owner.
It helps, if you are near another ATM, to look and compare the two for differences, if you have suspicions. Another thing to look for is the flashing indicator above the card reader, since most skimmers are glued on top of the existing reader, they will obscure the light.
Wiggle Everything
Even if everything looks right, still give everything a good twist or shove. ATMs are solidly put together. If anything seems loose or has any give to it, like a loose keyboard or card reader, don’t use it.
Stick to Busy Places
Skimmers need to physically install and retrieve their equipment, and the busier an area the harder this is to do. The ATM inside your bank, for instance, is much less likely to have a skimmer than one at a convenience store, simply because of opportunity for the skimmer.
Stay Aware
Even if your data is stolen, there are things to do to prevent further problems. Keep a close eye on your bank records, especially in the days after using an ATM or getting gas. Recognizing that unauthorized activity is happening and reporting it is half of the battle. The sooner you recognize it, the quicker you can report it, and the easier it will be for the bank to reimburse you and cancel your card.
Go Inside
Indoor ATMs are much harder to install skimmers on because of the access needed. Use indoor ATMs as much as possible.
