Citizens Bank at 8616 Germantown Ave.

by Brendan Sample

Officers from the 14th Police District have made an arrest in connection to an ATM skimming device that was placed in the Citizens Bank on 8616 Germantown Avenue. The device had reportedly been in the place for approximately four to five days before the arrest was made, so anyone who used that ATM or any other in the area over the past week is encouraged to keep a close eye on their accounts.

Police did not release the name of the man they arrested.

Police officers were called to Citizens Bank in response to a theft in progress, as a 29-year-old male was seen to be tampering with the ATM. Officers arrived at the scene and upon stopping the man for investigation, found tools on him that connected him to the skimming device. These tools included a long metal object with a light at the tip, a PIN-recording camera, SD card, X-Acto knife and super glue. The suspect was transferred to major crimes after his arrest, as the department is currently investigating the incident further.

The skimming device in question was able to duplicate the information of any card used at the ATM and transmit the data wirelessly, allowing for anyone with access to the device to use said cards themselves.

Though the device at the Citizens Bank was the only one specifically found and recovered, police have determined that this is part of an organized crime ring, and are thus working with other banks in Chestnut Hill to determine if any other ATMs were compromised. Anyone who notices or has noticed any suspicious activity on their bank accounts over the past week is encouraged to report it to both their financial institution and local law enforcement as soon as possible.

We will update this story when we get more information