ROCK HILL, S.C. — A skimming device has been found on a bank ATM in Rock Hill for the third time in only two months.
Founders Federal Credit Union warned customers Tuesday about the stand alone ATM in the Harris Teeter parking lot at India Hook and Celanese roads.
The bank said a skimmer was placed there, and urged anyone who used that ATM between March 15 and May 20 to immediately check their accounts.
Surveillance video showed someone wearing gloves, tampering with the machine, but there was no clue to the person's identity.
A Founders employee found the plastic cover for the keypad tossed on the ground.
John Conley is one of more than a dozen people who filed reports of fraud with Rock Hill police this week after using that ATM.
"I checked my balance of my checking account online, and it said I had a zero balance. I knew that wasn't true," he said.
In March and April, someone placed a skimmer on the ATM at the Arrow Pointe Federal Credit Union at North Cherry Road in the Home Depot parking lot.
A short time later, another device was found at the First Citizen's Bank on Herlong Avenue.
In that case, surveillance cameras captured two men who police believe were involved.
One shot shows a man installing a device after normal business hours. A second man came to remove the skimmer the following night. Police told Channel 9 both men were Romanian and were likely involved in a large crime ring. No arrests have been made.
York County Sheriff's Office spokesman Trent Faris said the look of a skimmer is often very clever, so people don't notice it.
"These skimmers are designed to look just like the ATM itself," Faris said.
Sometimes identity thieves will even replace the keypad with a special device so they can steal the PIN number as well.
It's best to physically grab the card reader and pull on it before inserting your card.
If a piece comes loose, you know there was a skimmer in place.
Conley said he's used ATMs for years, but is concerned enough now to stop.
"I probably won't use an ATM again for a while until there are some new security steps put in place," he said.
Founder's is working with customers to replace all their losses, and several of their customers told Channel 9 that's exactly what they did.