EVERETT — Police here have arrested a man suspected of stealing $185,000 in ATM skimming operations in three states. The latest case involved stealing bank card information from more than 70 people in south Everett.
Everett police are working on the case alongside the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force and Chase Bank investigators, Sgt. Robert Goetz said.
Police believe the man, 26, of Redmond, attached a skimming device to an automated teller machine at the Silver Lake branch of Chase Bank along 19th Avenue SE. The device captured account numbers and other information off of bank cards people used at the ATM.
The man was arrested Sunday night, when he reportedly came to the bank to collect the skimming device, Goetz said.
Investigators believe the man has skimmed more than 900 bank cards altogether.
The man had been under surveillance for some time, Goetz said. Chase Bank officials were able to shut down many of the accounts affected before money could be taken from them.
In general, skimmers attach a device that sits on top of the card reader, Goetz said. They leave the device for a couple of days and then come back and grab it. Some even plant a tiny camera to read personal identification numbers entered by ATM users. The crooks later match up the PINs with account numbers.
Skimming cases have made headlines in Snohomish County and the region in recent months.
In July, a Pierce County woman was arrested for allegedly attaching a skimming device to an ATM along Highway 99 in Lynnwood. Authorities believed she might have ties to Romanian organized crime.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle earlier this fall also charged several people in connection with skimming operations in the region. That case also was being investigated by the Secret Service task force.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
ATM safety tips
•Don’t use ATMs that appear to be broken or have broken parts.
If a bank has more than one machine but one has an out-of-service note, go to a different branch. Some skimmers use the signs to direct victims to use ATMs at the same location that they’ve rigged with skimming devices.
Be wary of anything gluey or sticky around the key pad or card slot, or anything that could hide a camera.
Make sure the card reader is securely attached to the machine. It should not come loose if you wiggle it.
Always try to cover the keypad with your hand when you enter your PIN, in case there is a camera nearby.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle and Everett police
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