Chelmsford Police Department Notifies Community of ATM Skimmer

CHELMSFORD — The Chelmsford Police Department is notifying the community that a debit card skimming device and camera were found Friday on an ATM inside a supermarket. 

On Friday, Jan. 2, at approximately 12:10 p.m., Chelmsford Police were called to the Hannaford Supermarket at 66 Drum Hill Road for a report that a debit card skimmer was found.

Officers and detectives arrived to learn that a representative of a private company was performing maintenance on an ATM machine in the supermarket’s entrance when he discovered a skimming device and a camera hidden on the machine. The skimmer is capable of recording debit card information, while the camera is capable of recording user’s pin numbers. 

It is not clear how long the skimmer was on the ATM, so Chelmsford Police ask anyone who has used that ATM machine recently to change their pin number and closely monitor their bank statements for signs of suspicious activity. Anyone who finds signs of suspicious activity should immediately notify both their bank and Chelmsford Police. 

An investigation remains active and ongoing. 

Chelmsford Police would also like to share some safety tips from the FBI to help residents avoid falling victim to ATM skimmers:

• Inspect ATMs, POS terminals, and other card readers before using. Look for anything loose, crooked, damaged, or scratched. Don’t use any card reader if you notice anything unusual.
• Pull at the edges of the keypad before entering your PIN. Then, cover the keypad as fully as possible when you enter your PIN to prevent cameras from recording your entry. Keep in mind that a pinhole camera may be present anywhere on or around the terminal.
• If possible, use ATMs in a well-lit, indoor location. These may still be compromised, but are less-vulnerable targets.

For more information on ATM skimmers, and how to protect yourself, visit: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/skimming.

###