Skimmers found on SunTrust ATMs in Polk, Manatee counties

DAVENPORT (FOX 13) - He looks young, but Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said a man spotted on a Davenport bank ATM surveillance camera is committing very grown-up crimes all around the U.S.

"Unsuspecting people come up, insert their card, he's got the data, and they're being ripped off," Judd said Wednesday.

The unidentified man's latest hit was in Davenport. He's also accused of installing skimmers on bank ATMs in St. Augustine and in South Carolina. Investigators in Bradenton are also looking into whether he's behind a skimmer found at a SunTrust.

"Sometimes these things only stay on for a few hours. Sometimes it could be a day or so," Judd said.

In that short amount of time, investigators say victims' information can be transferred to a cloned card to be used by the criminal or sold to other thieves.

Sheriff Judd says the best thing to do is going inside the bank to get cash, or use the cash-back option at participating retailers. Spotting an external skimmer isn't easy, but there are tell-tale signs.

"If you hit it and it bumps and it shakes, you can know it's an external skimmer," Judd said.

It's unclear where this roving suspect is now, but Sheriff Judd said his office is committed to ending his summer crime spree in Polk County.

"Help us make his summer vacation special, in Frostproof, at the county jail," Judd said.

If you recognize the suspect, you're asked to call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS.