Police search underway for suspected bank ATM skimmer

(May 13, 2016)Sunny Isles Beach Police are searching for a man who attached a skimming device to the ATM at a Sunny Isles Beach Bank last month. Police have excellent surveillance footage and are looking for anyone who might know this person. This story appeared on Channel 7 News on Thursday, May 12, 2016.

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The below article appeared on WSVN Channel 7 News’ website on May 12.

SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — Police are searching for a man who, they said, attached a skimming device to the ATM at a Sunny Isles Beach bank, last month.

Surveillance video outside the BankUnited located at 17100 Collins Ave. captured the subject as he approached the automatic teller, April 15. Footage from the ATM camera shows the suspect, seen wearing a red shirt, installing a camera so he can acquire PIN numbers. The video then shows the subject attaching the skimming device over the ATM reader.

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Sunny Isles Beach Police are looking for this man. If you think you might know him or have any information call our Crime Stoppers Hotline at 305.471.TIPS.

Later that evening, the ATM camera captured the man — now wearing a different T-shirt — removing the skimming device.

“We’re looking for this guy still. He’s at large; we want him,” said Sunny Isles Beach Police Sgt. Brian Schnell. “About a month later, on the 5th of May, we had a similar device.”

Police arrested three men in connection to the May 5th incident, also at the BankUnited in Sunny Isles Beach. Investigators said Dorvil Rojas Romero Jr., Luis Carlos Mota and Renildo Moreira Dos-Reis were busted after someone inside the bank noticed the skimming device, and the suspects came back to get it.

It is unclear how much money these men got from the scam. “It has a huge effect in the entire economy,” said Schnell. “Right now, across the nation, these kinds of crimes and other skimming kinds of crimes affect the economy because, you know, people may be covered, but somebody has to pay for these crimes, and down the road it affects us. It affects us all.”

The man in the April 15 incident remains at large, but police said they will make sure he is apprehended. “We’re not going to sit on our hands and not pursue him. We’re going to find him,” said Schnell. “The pictures are really good and really clear. I think somebody out there knows who he is, and remember, any of us could be a victim to this.”

Area residents said they will be more vigilant about their ATM usage. “It’s never happened to me, but I know it happened to a lot of people, and in my job, I see everyone canceling their cards ’cause it happened [to them],” said a woman.

If you recognize this man and have any information on his whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.

View this article on WSVN.com