FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Fond du Lac Police arrested two men tied to a rash of credit card thefts in the city.
Authorities say the men are connected to a nationwide organized crime group, using credit card skimmers.
When it comes to her credit cards, Susan Greg says she tries to stay one step ahead of thieves.
“Who you’re giving your card to, and how you do it, making sure your purse is closed,” said Greg, who lives in Fond du Lac.
It’s a message the Fond du Lac Police Department is also sharing with residents.
The warning follows the arrest Sunday of two men from California.
Assistant Police Chief Steven Klein tells FOX 11 both are connected to series of credit card skimming incidents.
“We were able to locate over 137 different credit cards that were in these two individuals possession, and we recovered over $75,000 in cash.”
Klein says the two men are Romanian immigrants.
He says investigators believe the two are a part of a nation-wide group targeting local areas.
“We estimate possibly 30 people in this group that are traveling, placing credit card skimmers on locations where you would use a credit-debit card.”
Klein says officers were alerted after a citizen witnessed suspicious behavior at an ATM off S. Reed St.
“They were taking a lot of different, what appeared to be different credit cards, and punching in a lot of different numbers in the ATM.”
He says there are some tips the public can remember to keep their credit card information safe:
Always hide your ATM pin when punching it into a machine.Use ATMs in well-lit, secure locations.Always check the card reader slot.Ensure it isn’t loose or has anything that looks out of place, or mismatched.
Klein says they do believe there could be others tied to the group still out there.
“There are probably still a number of individuals that are still operating in this area.”
Anyone with any information on the incidents is being encouraged to call the Fond du Lac Police Department at (920) 906-5555.
Police say two men are expected to be court sometime this week.
