Two men remain at large for attaching a skimmer onto an ATM at an Ozone Park bank last month, police said, potentially compromising the accounts of anyone who may have used the device.
Law enforcement sources said the two suspects allegedly planted the card-reading device onto the ATM at the New York Community Bank located at 98-16 101st Ave. on April 11.
An ATM technician working on the machine discovered the skimmer at 8 a.m. the next morning and reported it to the 102nd Precinct, authorities said.
Skimmers, which are installed over the slots where customers insert their credit or debit cards into an ATM, are used to record the personal information contained on the cards’ magnetic strips. Thieves use the information retrieved from skimmers to make illegal withdrawals from a victim’s bank account, or to fraudulently open credit card accounts in a victim’s name.
Police across Queens have been warning residents about ATM skimmers in recent months after a number of them have been found on ATMs in banks and even convenience stores. Never use an ATM that may appear to be broken or malfunctioning, or may have a loose card-reader slot, as that could be a sign that the machine has been compromised.
Those who believe they have used a compromised ATM should monitor their bank and credit card statements and report any fraudulent activity.
Anyone with information regarding the suspects in the Ozone Park skimming case is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, visit their website or send a text message to 274637 (CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
