Credit card skimmers
 

I read in The Daily Sun today about skimming devices being found on a Sunoco gasoline pump in Lady Lake. These skimmers steal information from the magnetic strip on your credit card which is retrieved by the thief and used in fraud transactions.

I have always wondered why the gas station owner does not know about the skimmers. Wouldn't they check the pumps daily to see if they are tampered with? Wouldn't an employee see someone tampering with the pumps while installing or removing a skimmer? I have always suspected that some employee of the gas station is the "perp" in skimming scams.

We recently had someone try to take money from an account we have in Massachusetts and had to take evasive action and at least don't have to pay any fees. Anytime I use an atm or pump gas I try to look for anything weird about a device like if something may have been added to the machine that shouldn't be there.

The article also stated that you should use the "credit" option and not the "debit" option. If you use use a Citizens First card as I do, you don't have that option. You can only use the "debit" option.

Gift Card
 

I buy the gift cards at Publix. If there is a skimmer on the pump, they are not going to get any personal information and very little money from the card....if there is any left on it. Publix runs a special every so often and you get $10 back on a $50 gift card with every $50 grocery purchase, excluding alcohol, stamps, etc. The card has to be activated by the cashier at purchase or it cannot be used.

Get rid of that card only use credit cards. They will protect you. I have had two times in the past five year that my card was compromised. When I contacted my bank they deactivated the card and the card company investigated the fradulent charge and best of all credited my account with the fradulent charge amount.

Very scary using your debit card. I always use my credit card or gas credit card when buying gas. I try to limit using my debit card only at those establishments that I feel very comfortable with.

At least they have to dip in your pocket to steal Cash. Cash is still King.:BigApplause: If somebody reaches in your billfold and pulls out some "Benjamins" you know real quick,:thumbup: but if you charge 15 times day that's really trusting the establishment the usually hires minimum wage workers looking to pick up some easy Money. You know the old saying in the underworld; Money stolen is twice as sweet as money earned in this day of the microchip. :22yikes: I know I know I am OLD Fashion! At least I dug up the tin cans and put the contents in the bank.:D

So I have gained some trust over the years :highfive:

Half the time the printer paper is out. That shows you the priority for checking the pumps.

Buggyone - That article made me internet search gas pump skimmers and I found a great video that, first of all, indicated that the key to open a gas pump is a universal key that can be purchased on the internet! It then showed a sting operation where the skimmer had been removed from a pump and a small camera installed to see if/when the skimmer owner came to collect. Sure enough - 2 o' clock in the morning! Car pulled up to pump when no one was present and went to retrieve the skimmer. The guy was so stupid that he kept pushing wires around looking for the skimmer and never realized it was gone and he was on camera! Still fishing around when the police arrived! Nominated for a Darwin Award! Scary that one can buy that key on the internet - but then - what can't you buy there besides common sense?

If you want a real eye opener go on the internet and type how to hack into a network. There is both good and bad having information on anything just a click away. You can actually make the skimmer wireless and don't even have to come back to gather the info. Those credit cards you have issued with the integral RFID Chip can be read by a person that just walks next to you with the reading device in a satchel or purse. Why do people think this is OK to do to another person?

I always check out cards for that chip - never use them - call the issuer and get non chipped cards sent - shred to chipped cards! voilla!