NBC 6 participated in the Miami Beach Citizens Police Academy on Wednesday, getting a firsthand look at how police handle one the fastest growing crimes: Identity theft.
In just seconds, without realizing it, an ATM user can unlock access to their account to cyber criminals looking for an easy buck.
"It is a real big problem for retail skimming and ATM skimming," police said.
For example, criminals will put a device on ATMs with a pinhole camera, and the camera can capture personal identification numbers and card numbers.
In addition, just last year, Miami Beach Police played a huge role in the arrest of two men involved in a Bitcoin money laundering scheme used to buy identities. It netted the first money laundering case of its kind in the country.
"It's like having a Swiss bank account in your pocket. It's shrouded in mystery. It's difficult to track, they can be virtually anonymous," police explained.
The underground digital world is so lucrative, there are in-your-face promotional videos for recruitment. In some tutorial videos, they show how you can steal enough identities and cash to buy a $100,000 Lotus.
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"It's easy money for them. It's very low risk for them. It's easy money," police said.
Miami Beach Police have an economic crimes squad that handles crypto currency and counterfeit bills.
Police said the best defense against skimmers is credit card chip technology, which was just introduced to the United States, but it is a 10-year-old technology that we are finally using.
