New Style of Card Skimmers Found in Greeley and Suspect Arrested

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** December 21, 2023 Kent Keller Public Information Officer Greeley Police Department (970) 351-5387, Desk Kent.Keller@greeleypd.com New Style of Card Skimmers Found in Greeley and Suspect Arrested GREELEY, Colo. – Last week, Greeley Police Officers discovered three ATM card skimmers in Greeley; all were found on ATMs at 7-Eleven stores. They were both removed, entered into evidence, and the case assigned to our Investigations Unit. These skimmers are new technology and are nearly paper thin. They are installed into the card slot and it then records the card data of anyone that uses it. Our regional law enforcement partners have also reported finding them on fuel pumps and retail registers around Northern Colorado and the Denver Metro as well. When these skimmers are installed on ATMs, the thieves also need the PIN of the victim to copy and utilize their card. To collect this, the scammers have very small pin hole cameras above the PIN pad that records their code. This tiny camera is barely noticeable with a pinhole in the metal plating above the PIN pad. We have included pictures of the internal skimming devices as well as the camera plates above the PIN pad with this release. Please be aware of people manipulating ATM or Card readers, especially if they do not appear to be from a legitimate company. If you find one of these devices, please call the Greeley Police Department or your local law enforcement agency immediately. Please do not touch or attempt to remove these devices yourself. If you have used an ATM recently, especially at a 7-Eleven in Greeley, please check your online banking statement to make sure there are no fraudulent charges. On December 19, non-sworn Public Service Technicians were conducting follow-up on this investigation when they spotted one of the suspects near a victim store. The PSTs radioed this information to nearby officers who quickly moved in and arrested the man. The arrested suspect was later identified as Lenard Berei, 35. Berei was transported to the Weld County Jail and booked on: - Possession of Identity Theft Tools – x6 Counts - Identity Theft – x16 Counts - Criminal Possession of a Financial Transaction Device – x1 Count - Theft – x1 Count - Cybercrime – x1 Count No additional information will be released today. This case is still under investigation, and we believe there are additional victims in Greeley and Northern Colorado. If you have any information about this case and have not been interviewed by officers, please contact the Greeley Police Department at (970) 350-9605. All charges are merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until, or unless, proven guilty. No additional information will be released today. ###