Crime & Safety

Bath Police Find Data Skimmers on FirstMerit ATMs

Information provided by the Bath Township Police Department.

Two men from Canada were caught putting data skimming devices on several ATM machines in this area, according to a police report.

On May 3, FirstMerit called Bath police and asked for help searching for the men who put the devices on the machines. Data skimmers, when placed on machines, act as the slot where cards are slid. The devices capture confidential information from the card's magnetic strip and transmits the information via text message.

Two men were seen walking across the Medina Road FirstMerit parking lot and were stopped going into a hotel, the police report said. Their description matched what security cameras on the ATMs captured.

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Police arrested Nazim Halil and Abdesselam Kharraz, both 20 years old, from Toronto.

Bath police Chief Michael McNeely said an investigation found the men had placed the skimmers on several FirstMerit machines in the area and he believes the men are tied to an organized effort out of Canada.

Find out what's happening in Fairlawn-Bathwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The FBI and Secret Service are completing the rest of the investigation and charges are going to federal court, McNeely said. The number of accounts compromised could not be revealed because it is an ongoing investigation, McNeely said.

If you believe your account has been compromised, call 1-888-554-4362.


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