Just one week after a skimming device was found stealing credit card information at a gas station in suburban Lombard, Bank of America opened an investigation Wednesday into the use of a similar device at two ATMs on the Northwest Side of Chicago.
After receiving alerts from customers who believed their accounts were targeted, Bank of America began looking into whether thieves installed a skimmer at two ATMs in Bucktown/Wicker Park, including one located at North/Milwaukee and Damen.
“You try to cover with your hand to cover up but it's kinda hard nowadays to not get stealing your PIN number or something,” said ATM user Mario Spadavecchia. “Makes me feel like I'm being robbed and those people gotta be caught, you know?”
Skimming devices store account numbers and personal information from customers who use the ATM, for later use by the offender.
“What precautions could I be taking besides looking around and seeing who's behind me?” asked Bank of America customer Victoria. “I check my bank account multiple times per day so if I saw anything I would just call Bank of America directly in the fraud department.”
"We encourage customers to be vigilant and notify a financial center employee if there is something unusual about an ATM or their transaction.” Bank of America said in a statement. “In addition, we recommend that all customers take advantage of services like online banking to regularly monitor their accounts."
This investigation comes one week after Lombard Police issued a warning that a skimming device was found on a gas pump at a Shell Station at the corner of North Avenue and Route 53.
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“If you used a credit card to pay at the pump at this location, don't wait for your monthly statement to arrive before confirming your financial standings,” police said.
If a skimming device is confirmed at the ATMs, Bank of America said they will reach out to impacted customers in order to block existing cards and issue new ones, adding that customers are 100 percent protected against fraudulent transactions.
