Scammers target Victoria ATMs with card skimmers

Victoria police say thieveshave been targeting privately-owned cash machinesin areas of the city that are popular withtourists.

The force issued the warning Tuesday after the skimming deviceswere discovered onthreeATMs.

"It basically slips right over the legitimate ATM machine reader," saidDetectiveSgt. DerekTolmie of the smallplastic devices that containcard-skimming technology and cameras to capture people's security PIN codes.

"Unless you look for certain telltalesigns, a lot of people don't realize they are actually putting their card through a skimmer."

The machines that were targeted were alllocated inprivate businesses, and the devices were found by the business owners and reported to police,Tolmie said.

The exact locations of the machines have not been disclosed.

ATM machines atbanks have been the subjectof similarscamsin the past, butprivately-owned machines may be targetedbecause they tend to beplaced in areas with little to no security, police said.

Anyone who uses aprivate ATM can test for a skimmer by simply pulling on the plastic casing around the card slot, Tolmie said.

"If it comes off, you've got a skimmer. These don't come off easily, if it's legitimate," he said.

Victoria Police said card companies have also reported recent losses in Victoria they believeare related to the cardskimmers placed on the ATMs.

There have not been any arrests in the case, but Tolmie said theinvestigation continues.