CONCORD, N.H. (WHDH) - Police in Concord, New Hampshire are investigating after they said they found skimmers on credit card machines at checkout lanes in two separate stores last month.
Concord police shared details about the case on Monday night.
Weeks earlier, on Oct. 19, police said workers at the Walmart location on Loudon Road in town told authorities that a loss prevention associate had found a credit card skimmer attached to a self-checkout register.
Police said a loss prevention associate at the Market Basket location on Storrs Street later reached out on Oct. 27, saying they also found a skimmer on an express lane checkout.
Concord police on Monday said investigators determined both skimmers were installed by the same two people on Oct. 17.
Asked how someone would get a skimmer onto a machine in a store with other people around, Concord Police Lt. Marc McGonagle responded.
“I’m assuming they are practiced,” he told 7NEWS. “They work in a group and they pay attention and they look out for each other.
The Concord Police department shared photos of two suspects linked to the alleged credit card skimmer case and said authorities were seeking to identify the pair as of Monday evening.
Anyone with information or who believes their credit card may be compromised is asked to contact police by email at shemming@concordpolice.com or by phone 603-225-8600 (X4854).
Individuals can also reach out anonymously via the Concord Regional Crimeline at (603) 226-3100, or submit information online through the Crimeline website at www.concordregionalcrimeline.com.
In the meantime, customers like Sue Borders shared their reaction to this news on Tuesday.
“I’m disgusted but I’m not surprised,” Borders said. “I just think we need to be vigilant about going home and checking on the charges on our cards.”
Police said they had already received calls from customers at the Walmart on Loudon Road and the Market Basket on Storrs Street as of Tuesday afternoon after customers spotted unusual charges from as far away as Utah and California.
Concord police also said this kind of skimmer scam is cropping up around New England, with incidents at other Market Basket locations in Nashua, New Hampshire as well as in Haverhill, Reading and Somerville, Massachusetts.
“Christmastime is coming and this is when you need to be wary of these types of scams and make sure you monitor your credit stuff,” Lt. McGonagle said.
McGonagle continued, saying customers might be able to know if a machine they’re using has a skimmer on it.
“If you slide your card into the chip reader portion of the credit card reader, it would feel like it was jammed and it wasn’t doing anything,” McGonagle said. “People kind of reflexively just then go ahead and swipe the magnetic portion. That’s where they’re stealing the information.”
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