Security
Clearwater, Florida police warn of ATM jamming scam
November 4, 2025
Police in Clearwater, Florida are sounding the alarm due to an ATM jamming scam. A group of three individuals have targeting victims by jamming quarters or paper into card slots at ATMs at Wells Fargo branches and then scamming individuals who approach the ATM, according to a report by WFLA.
The thieves wait for the victim to try to use the ATM then go up to offer help. They then take the victim's card, tap it on the machine and then give them a card that belongs to someone else.
"So, now the victim thinks they're getting back their card they just provided this guy that's assisting them, but they're not," Detective Corporal Francisco Micheo said in the report.
Another thief waits nearby to memorize the user's PIN number. Currently, the Clearwater Police Department have identified four victims.
"But there's probably multiple at this point. There's about eight or nine locations in Pinellas County that have been targeted," Micheo said.
Police have currently arrested two suspects and are on the lookout for a third.
