Louisiana ATM Scheme Affecting Customers’ Debit Card Numbers & PINs – Here’s What To Do

We got a press release today warning about a recent ATM scheme financial institutions in certain states along I-10.

On Saturday evening, January 24, 2015, the bank detected unauthorized activity at several of its ATMs involving Whitney Bank Louisiana customer debit cards. This scheme apparently relates to a broader scheme affecting financial institutions in certain states along the I-10 corridor.
This is not a breach of the Whitney Bank system. This scheme appears to involve criminals attaching a plastic mold and metal plate to ATM card receptors to capture card numbers and personal identification numbers (PINs). This type of ATM fraud is designed to access debit card numbers and cash and does not compromise customer bank account information.
The bank immediately contacted law enforcement agencies, examined all of the bank’s ATMs, and removed any illegal attachments discovered. As an extra precaution, the bank also immediately deactivated and is reissuing approximately 7,100 debit cards, regardless of whether or not this fraud attempt actually affected a customer’s account.
The bank assumes responsibility and will not allow customers to incur any losses because of this fraud incident. The bank is directly notifying customers affected by this unauthorized activity. Meanwhile, the bank regrets any temporary inconveniences customers may experience because of a criminal attempt to gather customers’ debit card numbers and PINs at ATMs.
The bank is working closely with the appropriate investigative and law enforcement agencies and carefully monitoring ATMs and customer ATM transactions in Louisiana for attempted fraud. As an added measure to protect customers, the bank has also initiated additional ATM security in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
The company will provide additional information to media as verified and as appropriate to support the broader investigation. Meanwhile, the bank encourages customers to examine carefully any ATM or cash machine at any location before conducting a PIN transaction and to change passwords and PINs regularly.
Bank customers noticing any unusual attachments to an ATM slot and/or surface should contact the Whitney Bank Contact Center at 800.844.4450.