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Dozens of Belfast Credit Union Customers Report Account Thefts

BELFAST, Maine - Dozens of people in Belfast say they had money stolen from their bank accounts after using the ATM at the Down East Credit Union branch on Saturday.

Police in Belfast say someone apparently installed a so-called skimming device in that ATM, and that they haven't found any others in the area.

The credit union says the breach didn't happen internally and it believes fewer than 100 members were affected. Most of the withdrawals were made in New York.

Belfast police couldn't be reached immediately for comment.  But Tim Feeley, of the state Attorney General's Office, says people whose account information has been skimmed should treat it like any other incident of identity theft.

"Flag your credit report," Feeley says. "And you should keep an eye on your credit report to see if there's any unusual activity, along with your bank accounts or credit card accounts, obviously. And you should create an identity theft report with the FTC."

This is the latest in a series of skimming incidents in Maine over the last several months, with thefts throughout York and Cumberland counties reported. Police are still investigating the Belfast incident.

 

Nora is originally from the Boston area but has lived in Chicago, Michigan, New York City and at the northern tip of New York state. Nora began working in public radio at Michigan Radio in Ann Arbor and has been an on-air host, a reporter, a digital editor, a producer, and, when they let her, played records.