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A crackdown on credit card fraud along the Richmond Highway corridor uncovered seven skimming devices, including six advanced models fitted with miniature cameras to record customers’ PIN entries. One man was arrested following the investigation.
The Fairfax County Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit began working with the U.S. Secret Service in September after two skimmers were discovered earlier that month, prompting concerns that the fraud could be more widespread.
During an operation on Sept. 11, detectives found seven devices attached to ATMs and payment equipment inside area stores. Six combined card-data collection technology with small cameras positioned to capture victims entering their PINs.
Investigators identified Marko Puskas, 40, who had no fixed address, as the person suspected of installing the devices.
The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland later contacted Fairfax County detectives about similar cases in its jurisdiction. The Maryland agency also helped investigators determine that Puskas was in Fairfax County.
On Oct. 2, detectives and the Violent Crime Suppression Unit found Puskas in the 7100 block of Lee Highway in Falls Church and arrested him.
Puskas was charged with identity theft, possession of fictitious identification, possession of burglarious tools and conspiracy to commit a felony. He was also served with six outstanding Fairfax County warrants for unlawful use of payment-card scanning devices and re-encoders.
He was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and held without bond.
Where the devices were found
Skimmers were discovered at the following locations:
- Dollar Tree, 6711 Richmond Highway
- 7-Eleven, 8226 Russell Road in Woodlawn
- 7-Eleven, 5638 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway in Mount Vernon
- 7-Eleven, 5638 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway in Mount Vernon
- 7-Eleven, 2901 Arlington Drive in Groveton
- 7-Eleven, 3100 Lockheed Boulevard in Groveton
- 7-Eleven, 2800 Beacon Hill Road in Groveton
How to reduce the risk of skimming
Skimmers can be difficult to spot because they are designed to resemble legitimate card readers. They may appear on ATMs, gas pumps and self-checkout machines.
Police recommend examining the card slot and keypad before inserting a card. A reader that appears loose, unusually bulky, mismatched in color or made from a different material could be suspicious.
Customers should also look for pinholes, unfamiliar attachments or objects positioned near a keypad that might conceal a camera. Covering the keypad while entering a PIN can help prevent a camera from recording the number.
Avoid accepting help from strangers while using an ATM or other payment device. When possible, choose machines inside banks or in familiar, well-lit and heavily traveled locations.
Bank and credit card accounts should be checked regularly for unauthorized activity, including small transactions that could indicate a compromised card. Contactless cards and mobile wallets may offer additional protection because they do not transmit the physical card’s data during a tap-to-pay transaction.
Anyone who notices a suspicious device should leave it in place and call the police non-emergency number at 703-691-2131. Information about the case can be provided to the Financial Crimes Unit at 703-246-3533. Anonymous tips may be submitted to Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477).