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High-traffic Victoria ATM compromised by card skimmer

VicPD suggest ‘wiggle test’ of any bank machine
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The front and back halves of a skimmer found on a high-traffic Inner Harbour ATM. (VicPD handout)

The Victoria Police Department urges anyone who used an ATM at Victoria’s Inner Harbour to check their bank accounts after a skimmer was discovered.

Officers were called by staff at the Tourist Information Centre on Wharf Street after a passerby spotted a suspicious device attached to the card input at the nearby ATM. Officers recognized the equipment as a skimmer.

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Police say ATM skimmers are often deployed with a camera to record potential victims entering their personal identification numbers. Officers didn’t find a camera and are unsure how long the skimmer was in place, or how many cards may be impacted.

Anyone who used the machine at 812 Wharf St. is urged to check banking information and report suspicious transactions to financial services providers immediately and report the incidents by calling the VicPD non-emergency line at 250-995-7654.

Police also suggest a “wiggle test” at any ATM. When inserting your card into an ATM, grasp and gently wiggle the card receptacle. If it is loose or comes free, it is likely a skimmer. Notify the owner and call police.



c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca

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