By Lee Kyung-min
Police said Wednesday they are trying to locate a man who attached a skimmer and a camera to a cash machine to steal credit card information in Geumcheon, southern Seoul.
A bank worker called police on Feb. 17 after discovering the equipment.
Surveillance camera footage showed an unidentified man installing the equipment the day before, police said.
After the suspect left, eight people used the machine, but they suffered no damage because police discovered the installation before the suspect returned.
Police said the skimmer was attached to a part where users are supposed to swipe their cards’ magnetic strips.
After the swipe, the card information is recorded and transferred to the installer in real-time, police said.
The camera was set up on the ceiling of the booth to record the card number, card holder’s name, expiration date and security code on the back, police added.
Crimes involving skimmers have soared recently.
In response, the Financial Supervisory Service has advised against the use of cards with magnetic strips since 2012.
Instead, the FSS advised people to use cards with integrated circuit chips, which are difficult to clone.