Correction: An August 1 story concerning ATM theft contained an error. Rhode Island State Police say a thief used fraudulent information in an attempt to withdraw money from a Bank RI branch on West Shore Road in Warwick. No skimmer device was found at that bank.
CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island State Police continue to investigate after a card-skimming device was found on a credit union ATM in Cumberland.
Investigators believe the device found Monday at the Navigant Credit Union on Diamond Hill Road was the only one used by the suspects.
Also known as “skimmers,” these devices are used by thieves to capture data from the magnetic stripe on the back of ATM and credit cards, which can then be used to withdraw money and make purchases.
The information skimmed from that device was then used to steal more than $110,000 from ATMs around the state, according to state police.
Police released surveillance photos of a suspect who they say was using fraudulent information in an attempt to withdraw money from a Bank RI branch on West Shore Road in Warwick. Our report on Monday indicated there may have been a device placed at that location, but Warwick police have since confirmed there was not.
The devices can be very hard to detect since they resemble the original card reader and are installed right on top. According to the FBI, the main difference is that card readers are often concave (curving inward) while the skimmers are typically convex (curving outward).
