Overview
- Police removed a makeshift card skimmer and a tiny pinhole camera from a standalone Santander ATM inside the CVS at 210 Border St., with the devices taken off the machine between June 5 and June 6.
- Customers reported that the card slot felt tighter than normal, the panel above the keypad looked like different plastic, a small hole was visible near the pad, and a store decal was missing, which led to the discovery.
- The Boston Police Department issued a community alert warning East Boston residents and advising people to shield PIN entry, use chip or contactless payments when possible, and report any suspicious ATM equipment.
- There were no arrests reported and police have not linked this machine to confirmed downstream fraud as of the latest reports, but officials urged anyone who suspects compromise to contact their card issuer and file a police report.
- Experts and police note skimming commonly targets ATMs at pharmacies, gas stations, and grocery stores, so using bank-branch or indoor ATMs near security cameras can reduce the risk of card cloning and PIN capture.