A ring of credit card thieves appear to be working the Morongo Basin. Since Sunday, at least six Morongo Basin residents have reported that someone has stolen their credit and debit card information and made withdrawals at various ATMs in Torrance. Every withdrawal has been $500 and change, and some residents have had multiple withdrawals over several days, with amount of stolen withdrawals totaling more than $6000. It’s unknown how the thieves got the card numbers, but one way thieves can steal card numbers is by using a skimmer. Skimmers are placed over legitimate card readers which then steal the information on the magnetic strip as the card is inserted. A hidden camera is placed nearby to record the PIN punched in. To reduce your risk of having your credit or debit card information stolen, use your chip instead of the magnetic strip on your card. Check card readers for signs of tampering; if something looks different or out of place, don’t use it. Wiggle or pull on the card readers before inserting your card; legitimate card readers won’t move. When you insert your card into the reader, jiggle the card as it goes in; skimmers can’t read it then. If you punch in a PIN, cover the keypad with your hand so a secret camera can’t record the number. If your card number is stolen, notify your bank immediately, as well as the Sheriff’s Department at 760-366-4175.
