FNB alerts customers of skimming

Customers of The First National Bank in Vandalia and other area banks recently fell victim to a scam involving card skimmers.
Over the weekend, unauthorized charges in the Houston, Texas, area began showing up on the debit cards of more than 60 FNB customers and about a dozen non-customers.
Bank personnel have determined that a card skimmer was inserted at ATMs at FNB’s Eighth Street branch in Vandalia, as well as two other non-FNB ATMs.
An initial investigation has revealed the data theft occurred on Dec. 24. The First National Bank has been working with these victims to make sure their funds are safe and secure.
Mike Radliff, First National Bank president, said, “Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people out there constantly looking for ways to prey upon us all. Card skimmers have become a popular way for criminals to do so.”
A skimmer is a device secretly attached to the mouth of an ATM, gas pump or other card reader allowing the thief to steal the data from the user’s card. The criminal later returns to the compromised machine to pick up the device containing all the stolen data, but with that information they can create bogus cards.
Card owners impacted were those who inserted their card in one of the three affected ATMs and entered their pin number.
Radliff said, “The First National Bank takes this criminal activity seriously. Staff members in our information techology (IT) and bookkeeping departments have been working together to assist our customers and non-customers who have been impacted.
“If you have not heard from us, your card was not skimmed and there’ll be no need to contact the bank,” he said.
Radliff encouraged everyone to exercise vigilance and regularly check their accounts through either on-line or mobile banking.