Watch out the next time you fill up at the gas station. You may be paying for more than just gas. During a two-day investigation, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office checked 147 gas stations and found 25 card skimmers on gas pumps at 16 locations.
Skimmers are malicious card readers illegally attached to the real payment terminals on gas pumps so your credit card information can be stolen when you swipe your credit card at the pump.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said law enforcement agencies have seen an uptick in the use of skimmers in Florida throughout the summer months. “This scam incorporates some of the worst uses of modern technology to drain victims’ bank accounts and ruin their credit,” said Moody. “Floridians must arm themselves with the latest information and take steps to avoid these fraudsters to protect their hard-earned money.”
“Scammers looking to prey off the hard work of Floridians have no place in our great state,” Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen said…Â New Port Richey Patch