POLICE have put out a warning after an information-stealing device was discovered at a grocery store.
A man was arrested following the incident in Middlesex, New Jersey, around 20 miles southwest of Newark.
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Alexanderu Crisan, 34, from Los Angeles, California, was charged with Defrauding Others Through the Use of a Scanning Device, according to the Middlesex Police Department.
He was apprehended by cops and charged last week.
Crisan is set to appear in Middlesex Superior Court on July 11.
The device was discovered by a customer on March 22, according to the radio station New Jersey 101.5.
This shopper then shared the discovery with the cops.
Police did not reveal how he was caught.
“The charge stemmed from a skimming device that was planted at a Union Avenue business,” police said in a Facebook post.
The cops added that they did not know when this device had been installed.
Skimming devices are gadgets that attach to card readers at ATMs or store checkouts.
These sneaky devices are used by fraudsters to steal bank card information.
ATM Scam Alert: $12,000 Stolen in Minutes!
This can be done through scanners that read the strips on a credit card.
Skimmers are sometimes paired with a camera to collect even more information.
For example, fraudsters could also place a small camera above an ATM keypad to steal people’s PIN codes as they input them into the machine.
WARNING SIGNS
Police have informed shoppers about four pointers they need to look out for to keep their information safe.
Bank tips for avoiding scams
As scams become more sophisticated with the use of artificial intelligence, it is important you know how to spot a scam:
- Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
- Scammers will often use tactics to make you panicked so you make quick decisions – be cautious if you are told to take immediate action and verify who has contacted you.
- Chase Bank warns customers to “never return any unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
- Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or by phone as this is likely a romance scam.
- Unless you 100% know who you are talking to, never give someone remote access to your device.
- Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be vigilant when making withdrawals.
- Do not send money or click any links indicating that you have won a prize.
Source: Chase.com
Customers should look for any tape or glue on a machine.
Secondly, they should keep an eye out for a bulky-looking keypad or card area.
Thirdly, shoppers should be wary of loose-fitting parts on these machines.
Finally, they should look for anything or any parts hanging from an ATM or card reader.
The U.S. Sun has previously reported on how victims could lose thousands of dollars from these sorts of scams.
Don lost $12,000 after he thought his card was stuck inside an ATM he had used.
He had actually been the victim of an elaborate scam.
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