Windsor Police are investigating a large number of debit card fraud complaints which occurred over the weekend.  The WPS Financial Crimes Unit received numerous calls from people who advised that their debit card had been compromised and money had been removed fraudulently from their bank accounts. The investigation has revealed that the actual withdrawals from the complainants accounts were made from Automatic Teller Machines located in the province of Quebec.

Information has been received that organized crime cells within Quebec are travelling the highway 401 corridor and tampering with the Point of sale PIN Pads enabling them to obtain the banking information of unsuspecting customers. This is the same technique which has been used in the past.  Windsor Police have made several arrests within the city during the past year of suspects who have tampered with these PIN pads.

In the most recent cases,  several fast food restaurant chains were targeted. It is unknown at this time when the units were actually tampered with but it is believed to have occurred several weeks ago.  In these cases, the suspects will enter the restaurant and distract the clerk while the PIN pad is switched with a decoy.  The suspects will then install "Bluetooth" technology into the PIN Pad and then return it to the store counter. The installed technology will then allow the suspects to download the customers banking information wirelessly as the PIN pad is used.  The suspects will then clone fake debit cards and then at a later date, they will make as many withdrawals as possible in a short time period from ATMs in Quebec.  This will send a "red flag" up to the financial institutions who will contact the customer and advise them of the fraud.  Financial institutions will reimburse the customer the lost funds from their account.

The Windsor Police Service is reminding all merchants who utilize Point of Sale PIN Pads to keep a close eye on these terminals to ensure they haven't been tampered with. Police are encouraging merchants to mark the PIN pads in some fashion in order to know that they in fact belong to them and have their employees check them frequently and to treat them as if they were cash.

Police are asking people who have had their banking information compromised to contact their respective financial institutions and to take direction from them.

Anyone with any information regarding suspects in these occurrences is asked to call the Windsor Police Financial Crimes Unit at 519-255-6700 ext 4330 or Crime Stoppers at 519-258-TIPS (8477).

Any media inquiries regarding this investigation should be directed to S/Sgt. Gerry Corriveau at 519-255-6700 ext 4325.

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