WILMINGTON — Months after the Brunswick County Sherriff’s office charged a California man with using card skimmers to steal nearly $35,000, at least one Wilmington resident has had her bank card information stolen and used out of state – possibly due to a card skimmer.
Spokeswoman for the Wilmington Police Department Jennifer Dandron said, “We have had people contact us in the past about skimmers being attached to ATMs and gas pumps, which is why we encourage people to check before swiping and to report it if they do come across a skimmer.”
Skimming devices usually have two separate pieces, the snout/swipe part and a small camera hidden elsewhere on the machine it’s attached to.”
Shelly McPhatter, a Wilmington resident had her bank card used in Oklahoma on Christmas eve, fortunately her money will be refunded, but she said she thinks Wilmington residents need to be aware that there are potential skimmers in the area.
While she does not know exactly where the information was taken from, her bank said that hundreds of people in the Wilmington area have been victimized by a possible skimmer, and it was not limited to her bank.
Other people on social media commented on a post sharing similar experiences in Wilmington and surrounding areas.
The Wilmington Police Department have offered several tips to help residents avoid falling victim to a card skimmer.
- Examining the device before inserting your card. If you’re at a gas station, make sure your dispenser looks like those at the other pumps. Is anything misaligned? Is the key pad raised, etc.?
- Give the dispenser a gentle, but firm tug. Most skimmers are attached to the dispenser quickly, which means they’re not on too tightly.
- Use ATMs or gas pumps close to an entrance or near security cameras. Criminals are less likely to tamper with machines with high visibility where they could get caught easily.
- Monitor your bank and credit card statements regularly. Report anything that does not look right.
- If you’re using a debit card at the pump, run it as a credit card instead of entering a PIN or pay inside the store.
