GREELEY, Colo. — Three "nearly paper thin" card skimmers that feature new technology were found at ATMS in Greeley, the police department announced Thursday.
Officers discovered the skimmers on ATMs at 7-Eleven stores last week. The locations of the 7-Eleven stores were not provided.
Unlike traditional card skimmers that are placed on top of card readers, Greeley PD said these skimmers were placed inside the card slot. They then recorded the card data of anyone who entered their card.
The thieves took it a step further and recorded victims' PINs through a pinhole-sized camera above the PIN pad. Greeley police said the camera is "barely noticeable."
Greeley PD said other law enforcement agencies have reported finding similar skimmers on fuel pumps and retail registers around northern Colorado and across the Denver metro area.
On Dec. 19, police technicians were at one of the impacted 7-Eleven stores when they spotted one of the suspects, according to Greeley police. The technicians radioed nearby officers, who moved in and arrested the man, later identified as 35-year-old Lenard Berei.
Berei was booked into the Weld County Jail for six counts of possession of identity theft tools, 16 counts of identity theft, criminal possession of a financial transaction device, theft and cybercrime.
The department is urging business owners and the community at-large to be aware of people manipulating ATMs or card readers.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Greeley PD at 970-350-9605.
