BLOOMFIELD, NJ — On Monday, Aug. 17, at approximately 11:15 p.m., Bloomfield police officers observed unusual activity at Santander Bank ATMs located at 667 Bloomfield Ave. and 1027 Broad St. in town. On Tuesday, Aug. 18, between the hours of 3 and 4:30 a.m., officers conducted multiple motor vehicle stops on vehicles whose occupants were observed attempting to access the ATMs. After the officers’ investigation and no response from Santander Bank, all information was gathered and was forwarded to the Bloomfield Detective Bureau for further investigation. All were released from the bank parking lot.
On Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 10 a.m., Santander Bank Security Department called in suspicious activity and numerous individuals at their ATM at 667 Bloomfield Ave. Upon police arrival, patrol officers located four individuals leaving the ATM in a hurry and walking toward a silver vehicle parked in the lot. Based off recent fraudulent transactions at several Santander Banks that were occurring statewide, all four males were detained and identified.
After an investigation, four males were identified and will be charged with credit card theft and fraud. The investigation is active and ongoing and occurred in multiple jurisdictions in the state of New Jersey.