Skimmers are malicious card readers that illegally gather data from a credit or debit card’s magnetic stripe. They’re often attached to a real payment terminal and allow a scammer to steal personal financial and account information. Gas pumps are a prime target!

Skimmers can be placed externally over the real card reader or internally (harder to detect) if the thief has a key to get inside the machines.

Warning Signs:

• Poorly lit pumps farthest from the station/closest to the street
• Little or no video surveillance
• No tamper-resistant tape on the pumps
• Out-of-date pump inspections

Investigate/report to local/state police:

• Inspect the card reader – compare to other pumps. If it looks different, report it
• Wiggle it – if it’s loose, report it
• Look for broken or missing tamper-resistant tape