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ATM card fraudsters are hitting more frequently

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Skimmers have struck the Lower Mainland yet again and many people's bank cards have been disabled as a precaution. It's a problem that's happening more and more frequently.

Former VPD detective Jeff Burton says the most common scam is for thieves to steal a debit card machine at a store or restaurant and swap it with one of their own. He says the crooks will leave their machine there for a few days, and when they go back and collect it, they'll have access to hundreds if not thousands of bank accounts.

"Typical of fraudsters, they will always go wherever the weakest link is. For now it's debit card fraud," he explains.

He warns the only way for people to protect themselves from fraud is to constantly monitor their account transactions online. Fraudsters target long weekends, as it typically takes longer for consumers and banks to notice and respond to the thefts.