Police, Fire & Courts

Police: ‘Skimming’ Device Found at Brick Bank’s ATM Machine

by
Daniel Nee
May 4, 2015

A “skimming” device. (Photo: Brick Twp. Police)

Brick police are investigating a “skimming” device that had apparently been placed at the ATM machine at a township bank.

According to police, employees at OceanFirst Bank at 724 Brick Boulevard called the department after finding the device, which is used to record debit card numbers.

The investigation has revealed that between 2 p.m. at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, a suspect placed a skimming device on the ATM at the bank location. This device is placed directly over the card reader of the machine, and in most cases matches the machine exactly, making it very hard to notice, said Sgt. Henry Drew.

Once on the machine, the device records the card numbers that are used in the ATM. That information is then used to make fraudulent withdrawals from the customer’s accounts.

Many of the transactions that have occurred have been based in the New York City area, Drew said.

“OceanFirst Bank is working diligently to identify customers that may have been affected,” police said in a statement.

If you used this machine during this time frame, police are asking that you monitor your accounts closely, and contact the Brick Township Police Department at 732-262-1100 if you notice any suspicious transactions. Anyone who was in the area of the OceanFirst Bank branch on Saturday during the affected time frame, and believe that they may have witnessed anything suspicious, should contact Detective Robert Shepherd in the Brick Township Police Detective Bureau at 732-262-1121.