A report of credit/debit card fraud led Cambridge City police to discover card skimmers installed at a grocery store.
Police Chief Richard Roberts said two customers have reported fraudulent transactions on their cards so far, but more victims might come forward.
Roberts said police found two skimmers Sept. 15 at Cambridge City Market, 100 N. Foote St. The devices collect card numbers that thieves later recover and use fraudulently.
Police visited the market because it was the last known location where a victim had used the card, Roberts said. CCPD checked some other businesses in town and hadn’t found any more skimmers as of Sept. 17.
Roberts encourages shoppers to monitor their bank and credit card statements. They can also contact their financial institution to enable alerts for immediate notifications of unauthorized uses.
If customers see a charge they didn’t make at a local business or a transaction in a state they haven’t visited recently, they should report the fraud to police.
Financial institutions sometimes contact customers to ask if out-of-state transactions are correct, but fraud is harder for them to catch at businesses in the customers’ home area, Roberts said.
Before making a purchase, shoppers are encouraged to check the card reader for wires, exposed parts or unusual attachments that don’t look genuine, if it wiggles before the card is added, or if it doesn’t match other nearby terminals. If it looks suspicious, Roberts recommends reporting it to police. He said skimmers are pretty well made, so detecting them can be challenging.
Other tips include running debit cards as credit cards to avoid PIN entry and using contactless payments when possible.
Lock feature helps prevent unauthorized SNAP card use
Thieves target Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cardholders because stolen benefit funds often cannot be traced or restored.
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration says only 3% of SNAP cardholders use an available card lock feature to help prevent theft through card skimming, cloning and similar methods.
Cardholders can visit connectebt.com/inebtclient/ to create an account and lock or unlock their card.
A version of this article appeared in the September 24 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.