Credit: Tom Sofield / LevittownNow.com
An investigation was launched from Tuesday evening into fraud incidents at ATMs linked to Santander Bank.
Middletown Township police said they had arrested several suspects and investigators were still sorting out all the details. The suspects were held after incidents at Santander Bank in the Shoppes shopping center near Flowers Mill.
Law enforcement sources said calls around Tuesday in Bucks County came from fraud at Santander Bank ATMs. The frauds were similar to cases throughout the East Coast.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said they are still working to gather information.
NJ.com reported that dozens were arrested in Garden State for proven involvement in the scheme. Near Mercer County, New Jersey, close to 20 people have been arrested, according to the Daily Voice.
The New York Post reported that a manhunt was launched for suspects accused of being involved in a similar scam.
Sgt. Mark Cleverdon, of the South Windsor, Connecticut, Police Department said the fraud also occurred in his area. He said the suspects used counterfeit debit cards and withdrew funds from ATMs operated by Santander Bank.
Legislation and bank sources said it appears that crooks used a flash at Santander Bank ATMs to take back any money they were not entitled to, possibly with cloned debit cards. Significant sums of money were withdrawn from ATMs at Santander Banks.
Santander Bank learned of suspicious activity involving some of our branch-based ATMs. Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily shut down these ATMs and they will be back online as soon as possible. In addition, some branches may have an additional security presence and / or be temporarily closed for security reasons, ”Santander Bank said in a statement to NBC News.
“We continue to cooperate in law enforcement, as they investigate this situation and apologize for customer reluctance. While we work to resolve this situation quickly, our customers should know that there is no impact on their accounts or funds, which can be accessed online, with our digital app, in our branches or at ATMs that ‘ t not smart, “she added.
As of Tuesday at 8:30 p.m., no charges had been filed in connection with the incidents in Middletown Township.
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
