RCMP release photos of suspected debit card skimmers

Alberta police released photos Monday showing suspected members of a debit-card machine tampering scam.

The photos were released after RCMP discovered that two more businesses – one in Airdrie and one in Red Deer – had been hit.

"It is believed that there is a possibility that additional retailers in southern Alberta have had their debit card PIN pads compromised as well and are just not aware of this attack as yet," said police in a statement.

In September, RCMP released a video that shows a man swapping a debit machine in an Airdrie fast-food outlet while a woman blocks the clerk's view with a purse.

Const. Lane Menard said the culprits switch the store's machine for a fake at closing time, take the original away and rig it to wirelessly transmit transaction details, including PINs, to a laptop. The following morning, the thieves return and sneak the original, tampered machine back into place.

Menard said if everything goes as planned, neither the merchant nor customers realize anything is amiss. The gang then harvests the information that comes in and makes phoney bank cards to loot bank accounts.

RCMP advise people to closely watch their bank accounts and to switch PINs once a month.