LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office has issued a warning to the public that an ATM “skimming” scam has been discovered in the county.

Capt. James Bauman reported that on Nov. 7 a Lake County man stopped at a gas station in a south Lake County community to get gas. The man used his ATM card at the gas pumps, and upon using his card, he saw that the ATM screen on the pump was blank.

The man assumed that there must have been a problem with the computer equipment, so he chose another gas pump to get his fuel. The man thought little of what initially appeared to be nothing more than a case of faulty equipment but what he man didn’t know, is that he had just been the victim of a type of theft that is becoming more frequent, referred to as “bank card skimming,” Bauman said.

The practice of bank card skimming occurs when would-be thieves purchase a credit card or ATM card scanner called a “skimmer,” Bauman said.

An Internet search using the phrase “ATM card skimmer” will provide a long list of stories and information on this emerging practice of fraud and theft. The device is placed at locations where unsuspecting people use their ATM card, he said.

Such locations can include gas pumps, phony ATM machines, legitimate ATM machines, restaurants, stores, or anywhere else where debit and credit cards are accepted. Bauman said the device captures information from the magnetic strip on the card and reveals the information to the person who placed the device. This allows access to a person’s financial accounts until the crime is detected.

In the case of the Lake County man at the gas station, thieves were able to make five withdrawals in a matter of one minute. Each of those withdrawals was in the amount of $90. The man had $450 stolen from his account before he knew what happened, Bauman said.

Luckily for the man, his bank detected the unusual activity and immediately notified him so that action could be taken to prevent any further loss. Bauman said it is easy to imagine a situation where the man wouldn’t have been available to be contacted by his bank and further losses could have occurred. By the time the man figured out that he had been victimized, the device had already been removed from the machine.

ATM and credit card fraud has evolved with technological advances over the years. Bauman said there was once a time, when carbon copies of credit card receipts were susceptible to theft by people who would make counterfeit cards.

Somewhere along the way, magnetic strips were added and PIN numbers were issued. Would-be thieves took to peering over the shoulders of people to retrieve their PIN numbers, or simply robbing people at ATM machines, according to Bauman.

There have been numerous other methods of theft and fraud implemented by criminals over the years. We are now at a point in time where technology has made the art of stealing information, data, and money a relatively easy, inexpensive and easily concealable crime to commit, he said.

Bauman said that, while ATM skimming is not a new crime, it is becoming more common and the effects are beginning to be felt here in Lake County.

According to the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence report to the Legislature on Organized Crime in California: “Two of the most common … financial frauds are credit card/identity thefts and automated teller machine (ATM) or point-of-sale (POS) credit card skimming. According to law enforcement sources, it is very difficult to stop this type of activity once account information has been compromised. Suspects are able to create and use new cards with existing account information before the victim notices the unauthorized credit account activity” (source: http://ag.ca.gov/publications/org_crime2007_08.pdf).

Certain precautionary measures can be taken to protect yourself from having credit or bank accounts accessed, Bauman said.

Be aware of your surroundings when using ATM machines, he said. Look for suspicious people and vehicles. If the bushes around the ATM machine are overgrown, ask the business to trim them back. Choose well-lit and public ATM locations.

Consider bringing a trusted friend with you to the ATM machine, Bauman said. When you use your credit/debit card and something unusual occurs, like the scenario outlined above, notify someone at the business. The people who work around the equipment day in and day out are more likely to be able to identify any equipment that doesn’t belong there.

When dining out and paying with a credit or debit card, consider bringing your card to the cashier instead of handing it over to your server. Bauman said the overwhelming majority of workers are honest, hardworking people making a living, but it only takes one unscrupulous person to cause you some long-lasting headaches and financial woes.

Check with your bank or financial institution to see what their policies and practices are with regards to unauthorized transactions, Bauman suggested. These practices can vary from institution to institution and you may find through a little research, what your rights as a consumer and a victim are.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating the theft at the gas station, Bauman said.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Lake County Sheriff’s Department at 707-262-4200.

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