BELFAST — Belfast Police are continuing their investigation into a Feb. 25 bank breach at Down East Credit Union.

The stolen financial information was gained with the use of skimming devices that were placed at two branches of the bank, located in Baileyville and Unity, according to Belfast Police Chief Michael McFadden.

Though McFadden was limited in what details to reveal, citing the ongoing investigation, he did say that local authorities are being assisted by members of both the FBI and Secret Service. 

While the number of Down East Credit Union victims has yet to be released, the business assured customers that the breach did not affect the internal network or security of the bank.

DECU made the following statement to customers:

“We want to assure all of our customers that their information is secure and at no time did a breach of our internal system occur.”

The credit union also noted that it believes it has identified all affected customers, although the organization has reissued “many cards,” in an effort to err on the side of caution.

Those affected will be reimbursed for any losses, according to DECU Executive Vice President Joseph Moses.

“Our first priority is our members, and that is how we are approaching this process,” Moses said in the release.

DECU will also make a “significant investment” in the most current anti-skimming software, which they will install on all of the bank’s ATMs.

Skimming devices involve the placement of a card reading device over a genuine ATM card slot. The skimmer records information as the card is inserted, while a hidden camera is often installed to capture the PIN as it is entered. Some skimmers use fake keypads in an effort to gain customers’ personal identification numbers.

The Down East bank breach isn’t the first time ATM skimmers have been in the local news.

Another Belfast bank was compromised in December, when a skimming device was located on the ATM of the Route 3 branch of Bangor Savings Bank.

Members of the FBI and Secret Service have also been assisting Belfast Police in their investigation of the Bangor Savings skimming device, and the possibility that the DECU breach is connected. 

While DECU continues to work with authorities in the criminal investigation, the group’s internal investigation is nearing an end, though the organization is advising members to continue to monitor their VISA debit and credit transactions for any suspicious activity.

Down East Credit Union is headquartered in Baileyville, and has seven other branches, including: Bangor, Calais, Machias, Belfast, Richmond, Unity, and Topsham.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com