Police in Hillsborough are investigating a recent ATM scam at a bank in Burlingame, a police captain said Thursday.
A card-skimming device attached to an ATM at the U.S. Bank branch at 1423 Burlingame Ave. was confirmed to have compromised the accounts of several Hillsborough and Burlingame residents, Hillsborough police Capt. Doug Davis said.
The first report of fraudulent activity to a Hillsborough resident's bank account was on Jan. 30; the first involving a Burlingame resident was on Feb. 20, Davis said.
A card-skimming device, if done well, can blend in seamlessly with a bank's ATM machine, according to Davis.
The device is placed over the part of the ATM where the card is inserted, and the scammer can later use the information stored on the card to make purchases or steal an identity, he said.
Through a joint police investigation, Hillsborough and Burlingame police detectives confirmed that the skimmer was in place on the ATM on Jan. 26 and 27, as well as Feb. 3, Davis said.
Davis said the skimmer could have been in place on the dates in between, but investigators could not confirm it.
There may have been breaches on other dates, but nothing could be confirmed, he said.
A typical card-skimming device can be snapped into place and removed "fairly easily," according to Davis.
Anyone who believes their cards may have been compromised is asked to review their bank records and report any suspicious activity to their local police department or Hillsborough police at (650) 375-7470.
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