Debit Card And Credit Card Dangers At the Gas Pump

The convenience of driving up to a gas pump and using a debit card or credit card, pumping the gas and getting back on the road in a matter of a few minutes are putting some customers at risk. Across the country, debit card and credit card users are having their card information stolen without them even knowing about it.

How this identity theft is happening is a criminal places a device on the gas pump where the debit card or credit card goes to pay for the gas. These devices are called skimming devices.
When someone uses their debit card or credit card on a gas pump that has one of these skimming devices installed on it, the device records the card information from the magnetic strip when the card is swiped. A hidden camera is often place to capture the card holder's PIN number.
The criminals then take the information collected by the skimming device and they create a duplicate debit or credit card. The criminals will use the duplicated debit card or credit card at other locations to purchase items and to even withdraw money from the accounts at ATMs without the card holder knowing anything about it.
A string of these occurrences have been discovered along the Interstate 85 corridor in North Carolina and thousands of debit and credit card holders may have had their card identity information stolen without their knowledge. The State Employee Credit Union has already informed around 300 customers that their card information had been stolen using one of these skimming devices.
The SECU has also released photographs of six men that are being searched for using possible fake duplicated debit cards. The debit card and credit card skimming devices are not just being used in North Carolina.
Reports of debit and credit card information being stolen at gas stations with these skimming devices are being reported across the country. Two men are wanted for stealing card information using the gas pump skimming devices in Bakersfield, California.
Occurrences of skimming devices being used at gas station to steal debit card and credit card information have been report through out California. Other accounts of these skimming devices being used on gas pumps from Washington, Arizona, Florida as well as New Jersey are being reported each day.
The skimming devices are slipped onto the outside of the gas pump where the card slot is. Officials are advising people to look at the pump and if there appears to be a device attached to the slot area, then the card holder should not use their debit card or credit card and report the suspicious device.
Officials also recommend that card holders cover the keypad so that any hidden cameras cannot record them entering their PIN numbers. This will help prevent any criminal from being able to withdraw money at an ATM using a fake duplicate debit card if there is a skimming device on the gas pump.
Card holders must use caution when they pull into a gas station for a quick fill up. A mere second to check out the gas pump for any suspicious skimming devices and covering the keypad when entering their PIN numbers will have them back on the road again without having their debit card and credit card information stolen.