ATM 'Shimmer' Discovered At Lake Forest Bank: Police

LAKE FOREST, IL — A device that records bank card information was found hidden in an ATM at a Lake Forest bank, police said.

A technician working Tuesday on an outdoor ATM at the First Midwest Bank branch at Deerpath Road and Western Avenue found that someone had placed a device inside the card reader slot, Lake Forest police said in a statement on social media.

"If you have used this ATM recently, please monitor your account carefully and report any false charges to your bank immediately," police said.

The machine was last serviced at some point Friday, according to police, so the device may only have been in place for a few days.

Police said they were investigating the incident with the help of First Midwest Bank officials and thanked the employee who spotted the device.

"We are looking into video surveillance, service dates, what work was performed and who did the work to determine how long the device might have been there," Deputy Chief Rob Copeland told Patch.

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An internal bank card skimmer — known as a "shimmer" — is used to steal card data by reading the chip information. External skimming devices read only the magnetic strip.

According to cybercrime reporter Brian Krebs, shimmers can be effective for creating counterfeit cards only when card issuer fails to check the internal card verification code.

Skimming and shimming devices are most often installed on weekends, Krebs reported, when thieves can be sure banks will not be be open for more than 24 hours.

Lake Forest police asked anyone who recently used the ATM at the drive-thru of First Midwest Bank to carefully monitor their account activity and immediately report any false charges.