Police: Beware ATM fraud

When Costa Mesa resident Kathy Putney checked her bank account Wednesday morning to see which charges on her debit card had cleared, two transactions stuck out: charges totaling more than $400 at a Kmart in Torrance.

“Uh, oh,” was her first reaction, Putney said outside the Costa Mesa police station Wednesday afternoon.

Putney hadn’t been in Torrance Tuesday, and she certainly hadn’t been at any Kmart there.

She had only used her card once the day before, at a gas station in a neighboring city, she said. Police said the turnover from when a thief steals the card’s information to when they print a new one and use it to withdraw cash or make purchases can be as little as 24 hours.

Skimming is the practice of applying a transparent device on payment machines or ATMs to steal the numbers from debit and credit cards. In some cases, the thieves even cover the payment machine recorder with something similar. It’s likely that Putney was a victim of skimming, according to police.

In the last few months authorities have seen thieves in Fullerton, Huntington Beach and Irvine use skimming devices to steal thousands of dollars from Orange County residents. Fullerton police believe the same group of 20-somethings who hit an ATM machine in Fullerton in October could be the same group that struck Huntington Beach in September.

Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Frank Rudisill said skimmers they encountered earlier this year have since been “chased out of Orange County” or arrested.

“I think we may be seeing an upsurge as the economy gets worse. More people are willing to do scams, others are looking to make-money-quick things,” Rudisill said. “The crooks are coming out of the woodwork. It seems like it to me. I’m getting a lot of theft reports coming across my desk.”

Authorities urge people to beware of the ubiquitous Nigerian e-mail scams, where someone claims to have money waiting for you if you send them money first. Also, when using your credit card online, make sure it’s a website you trust.

When using an ATM or payment machine at a gas station, inspect it to make sure it doesn’t look like anything extra has been recently attached. If your card has to be inserted further than normal, or pressing the numbers on the machine goes deeper than normal, ask for assistance.

CRIME SAFETY TIPS

  Conceal valuables or don’t leave them in your vehicle.

  Stay alert of your surroundings and people around you.

  Avoid carrying large amounts of cash, and carry a purse that can be secured.

  When away from home, leave lights on for the appearance someone is there.

  Have neighbors pick up your mail, don’t advertise you’re out of town on the answering machine.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.