Toronto Police have just arrested and charged 5 men with various counts of debit card, and point of purchase frauds, and skimming cards at Bank Machines.

Here is an excerpt from the Police News Release.


On Wednesday, September 19, 2012, the TPS Financial Crimes Unit and the TTC Special Investigations Unit launched Project “Rocket.”

It is alleged that:

- between June 24, 2012 and September 27, 2012, the accused purchased Metropasses using fraudulently obtained credit card data

On Thursday, September 27, 2012, police arrested five men in connection with the investigation.

It is further alleged that:

- the accused were in joint possession of 168 counterfeit debit cards and 29 fraudulently obtained TTC monthly passes

It is also alleged that:

- on Friday, September 28, 2012, police executed a search warrant at a home in the Parklawn Road/Lake Shore Boulevard West area

- police seized 105 counterfeit debit cards, numerous stolen Point of Sale Terminals, tools and electronics altered or intended for the specific use of compromising point of sale terminals, credit card reader/writers and accompanying computers used to write skimmed-card data to counterfeit debit cards, four computers and multiple external devices

 
There are a few things to look out for at point of purchase terminals where you use your debit card.

1) If you swipe your card, it does not work and they say, "oh try this other machine"....make a mental note of that, sometimes the one they give you to swipe first is to steal your card information.
2) If you are using the chip card....note HOW FAR the card  goes into the reader, if it goes in way too far, its' because they are stealing your swipe card information.  Once again make a mental note of your location and check your bank statements for the next couple of weeks to watch for missing funds.

Typically they will copy the card then make as many bank withdrawals as they can in a day at different machines.

Now for being burned at Bank Teller Machines watch this short video, it will show you what to look for so you don't get your Identification stolen.