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WAMEGO, Kan. — Hundreds of people were victims of identity theft recently in Wamego, according to law enforcement officials. An investigation is trying to determine where the breach occurred and who is responsible.
Wamego Police said Tuesday that it’s become a felony criminal investigation after reports started pouring in to the office over the weekend. Chief Michael Baker tells KMAN they’ve requested assistance from FBI, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service. The incident involve a breach to credit and debit cards in the Wamego area.
“They just need to be aware of where they’re using their debit or credit cards and always make sure they’re looking at their accounts to make sure there aren’t any unauthorized charges,” Baker told KMAN Tuesday.
Baker estimates some 300 to 400 people in the area may be victims. Every bank in Wamego has been affected by the breach.
“We’ve had a lot of folks that have lost money from their accounts and the financial institutions are working to reimburse them,” Baker said.
According to the Bank of the Flint Hills on Facebook, normally in these types of situations, it is a merchant or a merchant processor who has been compromised, not your bank. So far investigators have not determined which merchant was breached. That information is currently pending.
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