Arlington County Police said they recovered a “skimmer” device designed to steal credit and debit card information from a Clarendon ATM late last week.
ACPD said officers responded to the 3000 block of Wilson Blvd just after 11 a.m. on Friday, January 12 after hearing reports of the device. Police determined that it was installed at some point between the previous afternoon and that morning.
Police did not specify which ATM the device was installed at. That block is home to a BB&T bank branch and ATM.
The skimmers have recently been discovered inside pumps at local gas stations, while AAA warned of a spate of the devices across the region last year.
In a tweet, ACPD warned ATM users to monitor their bank statements and report any activity that appears to be fraudulent.
FRAUD ALERT: On Friday, ACPD recovered a skimmer on an ATM in Clarendon (details: https://t.co/6hXJtFm5cg). Reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim with these crime prevention tips: https://t.co/LYbHg9zody pic.twitter.com/VNJIvTy7Cs
— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) January 16, 2018
While we have most recently seen credit card skimmers inside gas pumps, the tips to keep your banking information are the same. We encourage you to regularly monitor your bank statements and report fraudulent activity.
— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) January 16, 2018
More from an ACPD crime report:
SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES (Significant), 2018-01120112, 3000 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 11:11 a.m. on January 12, police responded to the area for the report of a skimming device located inside an ATM. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 4:30 p.m. on January 11 and 10:30 a.m. on January 12, an unknown suspect placed the device inside the machine. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.
Photo via Google Maps.