Tampered ATM Robs Users in Westhampton

Area police are investigating the placement of a "skimmer" device on an ATM at in Westhampton Beach.

According to Lt. Trevor Gonce, of the Westhampton Beach Police Department, a "skimmer," which reads personal information off ATM cards and can capture personal codes on camera, was found by an employee of Chase on Dec. 16. 

Westhampton Beach police set up surveillance of the machine, but the owner of the skimmer never returned to reclaim it, Gonce said. Police confiscated it and are holding it as evidence.

The skimmer, Gonce believes, was also used on Dec. 11 on the same ATM and the owner managed to use the stolen information to steal money from two Westhampton Beach residents' bank accounts. 

Gonce said one resident claimed $5,000 was stolen and another said $2,600 was taken.

Gonce said Westhampton Beach police are investigating with the help of the U.S. Secret Service and the . No arrests have been made.

Gonce urges residents to take precautions when using ATMs. He suggests that residents examine ATMs before taking money out to see if it looks different — the skimmer devise is hard to detect, he said.

He also recommends shielding the keypad from the view of cameras with a free hand while typing in a PIN.