Eastie CVS ATM Rigged With Skimmer And Hidden Camera, Cops Warn

Shoppers at the CVS on Border Street in East Boston were not imagining things when the in-store ATM felt off. Boston police say officers uncovered a card-skimming device and a tiny pinhole camera attached to a Santander machine inside the pharmacy at 210 Border Street, after customers complained that the card slot felt unusually tight and the plastic panel above the keypad looked different. Store employees removed the equipment last Friday and Saturday, and officials are using the case as a reminder that criminals like to target ATMs and point-of-sale terminals at pharmacies, gas stations and grocery stores.

According to the Boston Police Department, District A-7 officers responded between June 5 and June 6 after getting reports of an odd-looking card reader and recovered both a skimming device and a makeshift pinhole camera from the Santander ATM. The department’s community alert spells out red flags for customers, including a reader that wiggles, panels made from a different plastic, a tiny hole near the keypad, or store decals that are suddenly missing. The alert also lists case numbers and urges anyone who spots something suspicious to get in touch with police rather than trying to pull devices off themselves.

As reported by The Boston Globe, victims described noticing that the card slot felt tight and that a decal on the machine had disappeared before the devices were finally removed, and local reporters say technicians later examined the ATM. The Globe notes that police are again pushing basic protections like using contactless payments and chip-enabled cards when possible and shielding the keypad with a hand or wallet while entering a PIN, and it directs readers to the BPD community alert for more detailed guidance.

How skimmers work

Skimming devices are designed to read and copy the data stored on a card’s magnetic stripe or chip, allowing criminals to re-encode that data onto fraudulent cards and drain accounts. Tiny pinhole cameras, often tucked into fake panels or housings, are sometimes added to record customers’ PIN entries. The FBI notes that skimmers are usually disguised to blend in with the machine’s existing parts, which makes them tough to spot during a quick stop at the ATM. Because of that, experts recommend using ATMs located inside banks or in bright, well-watched areas with security cameras whenever possible.

What to do if you suspect fraud

If you think your card has been skimmed, you are urged to contact your card issuer’s fraud department right away to shut down the card, request a replacement and set a new PIN, and to keep a close eye on your accounts for any unauthorized charges. Businesses that suspect a compromised terminal are advised to take the machine out of service and call police so any devices can be collected as evidence instead of handled by staff. A consumer alert from the Massachusetts Division of Banks also encourages cardholders to sign up for transaction alerts and, when it is an option, to favor contactless payments.

Boston police are asking anyone who used the Santander ATM or noticed suspicious activity at the CVS at 210 Border Street to file a report, citing case numbers C.C. 262047649 and 262047744 in the department’s alert. Officials say quick reporting and diligent account monitoring remain the best defenses against losing money to skimming schemes.