Skimmers found in Cumberland Farms in Johnston, North Providence, Central Falls
Johnston police released this image of a Citizens Bank ATM inside a Cumberland Farms store that it said had a skimmer attached.
JOHNSTON, R.I. (WJAR) — A spokesperson for Cumberland Farms said Wednesday that skimmers were found at the convenience store chain's locations in Johnston, North Providence and Central Falls.
“We are aware of the recent detection of ATM skimming devices in our Cumberland Farms locations in Johnston, North Providence and Central Falls, RI," the store said in a statement. "We are cooperating with local authorities through the investigation and ask that all further inquiries be directed to the respective police departments.”
The Cumberland Farms spokesperson told NBC 10 News that skimmers were found at the following Cumberland Farms locations:
- 663 Killingly St. in Johnston
- 1040 Mineral Spring Ave. in North Providence
- 478 Broad St. in Central Falls
Johnston police announced on Tuesday a skimmer was found on the Citizens Bank ATM inside Cumberland Farms at 663 Killingly St.
According to police, there were two parts to the skimmer found on the Citizens Bank ATM: one placed inside the card reader and a fake keypad which fit right over the ATM's existing one.
Police said employees at the convenience store reported finding the skimmer.
Police don't know how long the device was there or how many people who used the ATM were impacted.
"We would encourage those people to contact their financial institutions to ensure that none of their bank accounts have been compromised and any unauthorized transactions," Chief Mark Vieira said.
Police say they haven't dealt with this issue in about two years and are now reminding people of the best practices to help protect their personal information.
"Scan the machine for any irregularities such as a hidden camera on the device," he said. "Also always compare the card reader and the keypad and make sure that they match the rest of the machine and also see if the card reader and the keypad if they're loose, it's usually indicative of a device that was illegally installed."
Johnston police said they are looking through security footage and working to identify possible suspects but so far no arrests have been made.
In a statement, Citizens Bank wrote:
The safety and security of our customers’ accounts is of utmost importance to us, and we monitor for unusual activity 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are aware of a recent incident where skimmers were found in the area and are working closely with local authorities on the investigation. We encourage customers to closely monitor their accounts and report any suspicious activity to us. We will examine all claims of fraud and reimburse customers where appropriate. We also recommend that customers visit the extensive information we have available about security and fraud protection at: www.citizensbank.com/security/default.aspx.
Central Falls police confirmed they are investigating a card skimmer found at the Cumberland Farms store on Broad Street after they were alerted to the issue Wednesday.
NBC 10 News reached out to North Providence police for more information.