EPPD needs help identifying man suspected of placing card skimmer on ATM machine

A man is suspected of placing a credit card skimmer at an east El Paso ATM machine.

Detectives with the El Paso Police Department are asking for the public’s help identifying the man, recorded by security cameras at the store.

At about 7 a.m. on the morning of Saturday, July 28, 2018, the suspect walked into the Circle K store located at 7800 Gateway East and walked to the ATM inside.

The suspect is believed to have placed a skimmer device on the machine, police said.

A short time later, a customer attempting to use the machine noticed the skimmer detached from the ATM and alerted store employees.

According to a consumer information website, credit card skimmers are devices placed over the ATM’s typical swipe slot, and sometimes the keypad at point of sale terminals, gas pumps, and ATMs. After a skimmer is installed, your card will pass through both the skimmer and the official point of sale or ATM mechanism. Your transaction will go through, but the skimmer will steal the information in your card’s magnetic strip. Police say scammers use to stolen information to make fraudulent transactions.

LINK: How to spot a credit card skimmer.

The suspect is described as a white or Hispanic male in his 20s, with an average build.

He was wearing a camouflage colored baseball hat, a pair of black frame eye glasses, a dark jacket, dark tee-shirt with an American flag, and dark pants.

Anyone with any information on the identity of this man is asked to immediately call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 566-8477(TIPS), or on-line at www.crimestoppersofelpaso.org.

You will remain anonymous and, if your tip leads to an arrest, you can qualify for a cash reward.

Crime Stoppers of El Paso, Inc. is a non-profit organization that brings together the community, law enforcement, and the media to solve crime.