Duvall police need help identifying credit card skimming suspect
DUVALL -- Take a close look at the suspect.
Police want to know his name.
He was caught on surveillance video last month during a shopping spree in which police say he was using a stolen credit card number.
"They used it in Burien, and they used it in Bellevue and they used it at Bellevue Square,” victim Laura Tisdale said.
The stolen card number belonged to Tisdale.
By the time she was alerted by her bank, the suspect had already spent more than $2,500, including $1,500 on a new computer.
"They had a good time at Microsoft and they went to Starbucks in Bellevue and they spent some money, I think, at the Home Depot in Burien, so, yeah, they had a good time, unfortunately,” Tisdale said.
Since Tisdale was hit, police have found a second victim and believe there could be others.
Detectives hope someone can put a name with the suspect's face.
"Skimming is an epidemic right now and it's happening to so many people,” Duvall Police Sgt. Lori Batiot said.
That's right, an epidemic that can lead to other crimes like identity theft.
Thieves use hand-held skimmers, or even attach a false front with tiny cameras, to an ATM.
It's all they need to get your card number and pin, but there are ways to protect yourself and your money.
"If they're swiping a card and if the person who takes it leaves their sight, that's a concern and if they're gone for what seems like a strange amount of time, that's certainly a concern. Also if they're using a machine and they see some kind of device attached that doesn't look like it belongs there, they shouldn't use that machine,” Batiot said.
"I don't think anyone can be too careful, especially when that kind of money is at stake,” Tisdale said.
The experts say the best advice is to check your accounts frequently.
If you suspect you may have been skimmed, notify your bank and police immediately.