Community
Camarillo Police Department Combats Digital Theft
| Nature of Incident: | Camarillo Police Department Combats Digital Theft | ||
| Location: | City of Camarillo | ||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Community Resources Unit | ||
| Narrative: | |||
| The Camarillo Police Department purchased new technology to locate electronic card skimmers in the city of Camarillo. We have provided members of the Camarillo Citizen’s Patrol training in the use of this technology to locate skimming devices and report them to deputies as well as local businesses. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) estimated that skimming has cost financial institutions and consumers more than one billion dollars each year. The Camarillo Police Department recognized this as a serious threat to our residents. The Community Resources Unit began to search for tools to combat this type of theft. Recently, we purchased an electronic device that is designed to assist our personnel in locating skimming devices. Camarillo Citizen’s Patrol members will be conducting inspections at local businesses with point-of-sale transaction devices, at automated teller machines (ATM’s), gas pumps, and banks to attempt to locate skimming devices and to prevent digital theft. It is important to know that nationally, law enforcement officers have located a wide variety of skimming devices and some of these devices have multiple components. Some of the different types of skimming devices are an overlay or deep insert skimmer. Overlay skimmers are often near exact matches to the components that make up the point-of-sale terminal or card reader. Deep insert skimmers are often not visible and harder to detect. Additional components for these skimming devices can include cameras to record citizens entering pin numbers, and transmitters to send the information to criminals nearby. For more information, please visit the FBI website. https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/skimming The Camarillo Police Department would like to remind residents to stay aware of their surroundings while using automated teller machines (ATM’s) point of sale terminals and at gas stations. Report any suspicious subjects to Sheriff’s Dispatch at 805-654-9511. We would also like to encourage residents to not use broken or altered ATM machines or gas pumps. If you notice visible signs of tampering, damage, or if you swiped your card and it just felt different, please report this incident to the business and do not use the terminal. The Camarillo Citizen’s Patrol is a volunteer organization made up of volunteers who live or work in the city of Camarillo. Just like Deputy Sheriffs, the members of the Camarillo Citizen’s Patrol are dedicated to the prevention of crime in our city. |
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| Prepared by: | Senior Deputy John Meeker | ||
| News Release Date: | 04/16/2024 | ||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Senior Deputy John Meeker 805-388-5130 |
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| Approved by: |
Captain Jason Hendren |
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Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511