Some bank customers southeast of the Quad Cities had an expensive weekend, with several reporting that fraudulent charges appeared on their accounts.
On Saturday, April 13, the Galesburg Police Department got 16 reports of fraudulent charges pinned to their bank accounts, according to Captain Rod Riggs. He said police believe the fraudulent charges stem from credit card skimmers that took dozens of people’s information back in late March.
Captain Riggs said the fraudulent charges were made in the Chicago area.
Monmouth Police Department Chief Joe Switzer said they had gotten a few reports from people who say they had money taken from their accounts. Investigators had not yet narrowed down where it happened or when it happened.
“I know the banks were busy this morning,” said Chief Switzer. He said customers from different banks were impacted, suspecting it was part of a bigger operation.
Captain Riggs said in situations with bank fraud, there’s not much that can be done as far as tracking down the perpetrators.
“Keep track of your stuff,” he said. “Balance your checkbook, check your statements.” He advised setting up a secondary electronic notification for when your cards are used.
“If you see (a charge) that’s off-kilter you need to call your bank, get it stopped, or get a different card,” he said.
