Illegal credit card ‘skimmers’ found attached to gas pumps at San Miguel Chevron
In this particular case, the skimmers were Bluetooth-enabled wireless devices which would allow data to be transmitted to a laptop at a location near the station.
–On Tuesday, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a Chevron gas station in the 900 block of K Street in San Miguel after a clerk at the station noticed some suspicious activity on the station’s surveillance video system.
When deputies arrived they discovered a skimmer device on six of the eight fuel pumps. These devices are illegal card readers attached to the payment terminals on the gas pump which are able to download the data off a credit or debit card without the owner’s knowledge. The skimmer devices were placed internally in the fuel pumps so the general public would not notice. In this particular case, the skimmers were Bluetooth-enabled wireless devices which would allow data to be transmitted to a laptop at a location near the station.
Investigators are now forensically analyzing the skimmer devices for any evidence which may lead to the person or persons who attached them to the fuel pumps.
The Sheriff’s Office recommends consumers check their debit or credit card statements for any unusual or suspicious activity. Also it’s recommended to avoid using your debit card for these types of transactions since there may not be a recourse for fraud activity. Many credit cards have a process which limits your liability for this type of fraud. Also the sheriff’s office recommends paying inside the station rather than at the pump.
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