A local Secret Service agent says that authorities have been
seeing more credit card skinners at gas stations over the past few months.
The latest find occurred in Centralia this week when a state
inspector found two skimmers at one gas station. Three skimmers have been found
in Lewis County. And two skimmers were found at a gas station in Port Orchard. The
discoveries began in November.
The authorities think that ID thieves are migrating to gas
pumps because more ATMs are using chip readers making it more difficult to copy
account information. Most gas pumps still rely on swiping the magnetic strip on
credit and debit cards and have yet to utilize chip readers.
Skimmers record account information from the magnetic strip
on the card. The ID thief returns later to retrieve the information. They can
use the account information to make purchases online or sell the information to
another ID thief.
While the reports of gas pump skimmers have occurred in
other parts of the state, ID thieves can still operate in Snohomish County.
Remember, when you come up to a gas station pump, or an ATM,
check the card reader for any unusual marks, see if it is loose. Try to use the
pump nearest the cashier booth or store (it’s easier for ID thieves not to get
caught when they install skimmers in pumps furthest from the cashier). If you
see anything suspicious, report it to an employee.
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