NEW YORK CITY — Police are searching for a man who stole nearly $5,000 from multiple victims by using debit card skimmers at six TD Banks across the city, the NYPD says.
One man is believed to be behind seven thefts on the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side and in Jackson Heights, where police say he planted skimmers at six different banks, ripped information from debit cards and returned later to steal cash.
In all cases, the victims were women. In some cases, the suspect withdrew money twice from a single bank account.
TD Bank did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday.
Police have advised people using an ATM to "yank" on the card reader before using it to determine if a false reader has been placed around it.
The suspect is connected to the following thefts, according to police:
► The first theft happened on March 11, when the suspect withdrew $500 from the TD Bank branch ATM at 1709 Third Ave. using debit card information swiped from his victim.
Later that day around noon, the victim, a 65-year-old woman, told police that the money had been withdrawn from her bank account, although she had her debit card with her.
► About 15 minutes later, a 38-year-old woman reported that $700 had been stolen from her bank account.The money had been withdrawn from a TD Bank located at 1504 Third Ave. on the Upper East Side.
The suspect took another $700 out of the same woman's bank account using her debit card number on March 12, police said.
► On March 14, the suspect withdrew $700 from a TD Bank at 2831 Broadway on the Upper West Side. The 61-year-old female victim reported the theft to police about midnight that same day.
He withdrew another $700 from her account on March 15 from a TD Bank in Jackson Heights, at at 73-14 37th Ave., police said.
► Also on March 14, the man withdrew $700 from a 50-year-old woman's bank account at the TD Bank at 2521 Broadway on the Upper West Side.
He took another $703 from the woman's bank account at a TD Bank at 20-46 Steinway St. in Astoria the following day.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the suspect is asked to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS or the Crime Stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
