ATM 'skimming' fraud

An alert Long Island NY bank customer noticed what appeared to be a "skimming device" being removed from an Elmont ATM and led police to two men who were arraigned Sunday 05/08 on fraud charges, one of them charged in stealing at least $3,000.

Talwinder Khubar Singh, 19, is suspected of obtaining the account and personal identification numbers of 18 customers at a Bank of America branch in Elmont with Rajwinder Brar, 27, of Richmond Hill, when a witness called authorities, police said.

Police said Singh installed the computerized skimming device over the ATM's insert port to read and download the information from the magnetic strip of each card that is swiped. He would then transfer that information onto blank cards, police said.

Singh obtained the personal identification numbers by attaching a small camera over the keypad and recording as people entered their PINs, police said.