Thieves using gas pump to steal credit information
ID thieves have begun stealing credit card information by placing devices on gas pumps to copy down the card’s information.
The skimmed data are used to create cards used at the victims’ expense, says James Van Dyke, president and founder of Javelin Strategy and Research, a financial consulting firm that focuses on fraud and identity theft.
Investigations of theft related to skimming devices at gas pumps continue in California, Washington, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Delaware, according to various police departments.
Though the most recent cases don’t necessarily represent an epidemic, the Secret Service is investigating incidents across the country, says Ed Donovan, spokesman for the agency, which has financial and electronic crimes units.
Skimming devices have been used for several years, most often at ATMs. Thieves increasingly target pumps because it’s a cheap, easy way to steal credit and debit card information, Van Dyke says.
