Webster Five reimburses thousands after ATM identity thefts

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By Sam Bonacci

Webster Five put a freeze on ATM withdrawals over the weekend following illegal activity on Saturday and Sunday at its ATMs in Dudley and Webster that resulted in withdrawals in New York City and the Boston area.

The bank announced that an unspecified number of ATM cards were affected by the scam, which used a skimming device placed on the ATMs to read people's cards and gather customer data. The skimming device, which is typically placed over where customers insert their cards into the ATM, was placed after business hours and removed before the start of the next business day, the bank said in a release.

Webster Five did not disclose the amount of money taken, although the Webster Police Department issued a statement saying customers found either hundreds or thousands of dollars missing from their accounts.

The bank has reimbursed funds and reissued cards to those customers impacted, and has an ongoing investigation being conducted with local law enforcement. The bank is headquartered in Webster with branches in Worcester, Auburn, Dudley, Oxford and Shrewsbury.

Webster Five put a freeze on ATM withdrawals over the weekend following illegal activity on Saturday and Sunday at its ATMs in Dudley and Webster that resulted in withdrawals in New York City and the Boston area.

The bank announced that an unspecified number of ATM cards were affected by the scam, which used a skimming device placed on the ATMs to read people's cards and gather customer data. The skimming device, which is typically placed over where customers insert their cards into the ATM, was placed after business hours and removed before the start of the next business day, the bank said in a release.

Webster Five did not disclose the amount of money taken, although the Webster Police Department issued a statement saying customers found either hundreds or thousands of dollars missing from their accounts.

The bank has reimbursed funds and reissued cards to those customers impacted, and has an ongoing investigation being conducted with local law enforcement. The bank is headquartered in Webster with branches in Worcester, Auburn, Dudley, Oxford and Shrewsbury.