SIDNEY — Consumers and store merchants are put on alert by police after a credit card skimmer was found placed at a Sidney Family Dollar on Wapakoneta Avenue on Sunday.

According to Sidney Police Capt. Jerry Tangeman, on Sunday, Nov. 19, at approximately 2:45 p.m., Sidney Patrol Officer Andrew Shappie was dispatched to the Family Dollar regarding the discovery of a credit card skimmer device on a register’s credit card reader. It had been discovered by a customer making a purchase after the skimmer device came loose from the credit card reader.

Upon reviewing the store video, it was discovered the device had been covertly placed around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. The persons involved were two males of Middle Eastern descent, according to Tangeman’s press release. Allegedly, one of the individuals distracted the register clerk with a product question, resulting in the clerk leaving the register area momentarily. After the clerk’s attention was turned away, the second individual placed the skimmer device over the store’s credit card reader. The reader was in place for about one hour and 15 minutes before it was discovered. Upon its discovery, it appeared the device was wired to a self-contained power source and operational.

With this recent event, Sidney Police have asked merchants to check their credit card readers to ensure that other skimmer devices have not been covertly installed. As a reminder, it is good practice to check for these devices on a routine basis.

If anyone has information about this event or the identity of the suspects, they are asked to call Sidney Det. John Curtis at 937-498-2351 or leave the information with Crime Stoppers at 937-492-8477 (TIPS).