Victoria Police are urging people to check their banking information if they have used the ATM at 812 Wharf Street after an ATM skimmer was found there.
Staff at the Tourist Information Centre by Victoria’s Inner Harbour called police after a passerby noticed what looked like a suspicious device attached to the card input at the ATM located there.
See also:
- RCMP investigate significant ATM fraud incident on Vancouver Island (PHOTOS)
- BC Hydro report says 2018 was record-breaking year for successful scammers
Once the device was turned over to police, officers instantly recognized it as an ATM skimmer, which is an attachment that collects card numbers and PIN codes, which are then replicated into counterfeit cards.
ATM skimmers are often deployed with a camera to record potential victims entering their PINs, however officers did not locate a camera in the area.
The ‘wiggle’ test
“It is not known at this time how long the skimmer was at the ATM, or how many cards may be impacted,” says VicPD in a statement.
“If you used the ATM at 812 Wharf Street, you are urged to check your banking information and report any suspicious transactions to your financial services provider immediately and report the incidents by calling our non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654.”
See also: CRA scammers con Victoria man into giving them $11,000
As a way to test whether an ATM has a skimmer attached to it, police recommend the ‘wiggle’ test, where you gently wiggle the card receptacle after inserting your card at an ATM.
If the receptacle is loose or comes free, it is probably a skimmer, in which case you should notify the owner and call police.
