Arlington Hts. police hunt for skimming crew

Arlington Heights Police are looking for anyone who may recognize a man who skimmed, then robbed an ATM machine in January.

Investigator Todd Radek said the man wanted was seen skimming the bar code off a victim's ATM card, then used that code to access the victim's bank account.

“A skimmer is someone who attaches a device to an ATM machine that is designed to compromise the card by skimming the numbers off,” Radek said. “Then, they download the number to a blank card, go to the ATM, and drain as much as they can out of the bank account of the unsuspecting victim.”

He said the man may be operating as part of a crew in the northwest suburbs. He said at least two or three skimming crews are operating in the suburbs, but mentioned it's unclear if there are links between the crews or if each crew is operating independently.

Anyone with information is urged to call Radek at (847) 368-5354, or through his email at tradek@vah.com.