Richmond Police Department encourages residents to watch for fuel station credit card skimmers after one was found on a local pump.
During a recent RPD routine check for skimming devices, they found one on a diesel pump.
Skimmers are installed on card readers to collect card numbers that thieves later recover and use fraudulently.
Skimmers can be bought for as little as $49 on websites. Offenders can place them in seconds.
Residents are encouraged to investigate any port or cardholder on a pump and check for any wires or exposed parts that don’t look genuine, RPD says.
If a card reader wiggles before the card is added or it doesn’t match other nearby pumps, use a different pump and report it to the attendant, the Federal Trade Commission suggests.
Some gas stations have security tape or other markings on their cabinet panel that show that the pump hasn’t been tampered with. If it’s been tampered with, the label often reads “void.”
FTC also encourages customers to use a debit card as a credit card so they don’t enter a PIN and put it at risk of being stolen. For added safety, pay in the convenience store.
Customers who see a pump that looks tampered with are urged to contact local law enforcement. RPD can be reached at 765-983-7247 or rpdcrimetip@richmondindiana.gov.
A version of this article appeared in the February 28 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.