Police are seeking victims of fraud after a skimming device was located on an ATM at a Bank of America branch in Lake Forest Wednesday morning.
The Lake Forest Police Department said they were notified after a technician located a skimming device.
Officers responded to the Bank of America branch at 780 North Western Avenue Wednesday morning.
The device was found inside the walk-up ATM near the south-side alleyway.
Police said it is unclear how long the device was inside the ATM.
It was the cause of the ATM malfunctioning on Tuesday which resulted in the technician finding it.
An ATM skimmer is a covert device installed on ATMs or gas station pumps to secretly collect data from the magnetic stripe of debit or credit cards.
It captures account information, including card numbers and sometimes PINs, enabling criminals to engage in fraudulent activities such as creating counterfeit cards or making unauthorized transactions, police said.
Those who used the ATM recently are asked to monitor their accounts for fraudulent activity.
Anyone who believes they have been the victim of fraud related to the skimming device is asked to contact the police department at 847-234-2601 and ask to speak with the Investigations Section.
“It’s important for individuals to be vigilant and inspect ATMs and gas pumps for any unusual devices or irregularities before using them to help prevent falling victim to skimming scams,” police officials said.