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Card Skimmers Found On Four PenAir ATMs, Sheriff’s Office Says
July 31, 2024
The Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office was notified Tuesday of evidence of card skimming devices inserted inside four of the credit union’s ATM/LIVE machines in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
The SRSO said PenAir immediately secured the affected ATMs and notified the appropriate authorities, including local law enforcement, and are in the process of notifying regulatory bodies.
Because they were inserted inside the machines, the skimmers were not detectable from outside the machines, the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities said pinhole cameras were also capturing PIN numbers at the ATMs.
PenAir said all ATM/LIVE Teller locations were inspected, and no other machines have security concerns or evidence of skimmers.
“We are working to ensure those responsible are identified and apprehended,” the sheriff’s office said.
PenAir said the affected ATMs at their Woodbine (5 Points), 9th Avenue, and two Garden Street locations have been temporarily closed. PenAir has replaced the damaged equipment
All other locations remained operational.
“As both members and non-members use these machines, we recommend that anyone who suspects unauthorized activity on their accounts contact their financial institution immediately, PenAir is in the process of notifying affected customers directly, returning funds, and providing guidance on how to monitor and secure their accounts. We encourage all our members and those in our community to review their account statements and transaction history for any unauthorized activity,” the credit union said.
Pictured; A standalone PenAir Credit Union ATM in Century. This ATM was not one of those determined to have a skimming device. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
8 Responses to “Card Skimmers Found On Four PenAir ATMs, Sheriff’s Office Says”
all comments missed a point. scimmers were inside machines! these people knew what they were doing. it could have went on alot longer if not for members + noticing there accounts. i slip up online sometimes scamming piggybackers on wwalmart&harborfreight are 2 . so watch out for free gift cards & equipment !
I personally have started using my cash at various locations around town when buying things and use Bill Pay when paying my bills online using my prepaid Visa card. I just transfer just enough money to my prepaid Visa that is linked to my checking account but only what I transfer on it can be taken from it. No more. I rarely ever use my Debit Card and do so only when I have to. I keep these cards locked when not in use. So far so good.
Not going to get any better.
Use a credit card instead of a debit card and pay it off each month. Way better protected from fraudulent charges and scams and less headache to solve.
I have gone back to using cash and writing checks when I can. A lot of businesses prefer cash or check over a card so they don’t have to pay a 3% processing fee to the card company. Businesses that operate on a small profit margin, 3% eats up the profit quickly.
Old school is sometimes the best school!
I don’t keep much money on my debit card and load it when I need it. If I do use the ATM I use live teller. I use the credit option when I purchase gas. I am retired and I don’t mind going to a branch office.
@Pace girl
Yep, all ATMs have cameras. However, if someone is installing a skimmer on an ATM, they’re probably smart enough to cover their face when they do it.
If you use the “live teller” option on the machine, you’ll never be a victim to a simmer. The live teller option eliminates the needs to use your card and pin number.
I wonder how long this actually gone on for. I was hit twice by fraudulent activity within mere months of one another earlier this year, each time having fully drained my account. First time I went to the branch on 9 mile they were helpful aside from not removing a pending charge when it posted on their own like they said they’d do. Second time I had to visit the branch the teller was far from friendly and seemed more annoyed by my visit than anything. I didn’t get the vibe they cared all that much to be honest.
And yeah to the first comment. Typically there are. If there wasn’t then it makes me think it was done by someone with the knowledge that there wasn’t one. Also doesn’t help with poor security measures that a new debit card can be printed at the branch, in spite of its convenience.
I thought cameras were on ATMs? If not they should be. It should be able to capture someone putting these on each machine? I would think it would be pretty obvious that they sat there to do this.