Orange police last week found a credit-debit card “skimmer” on a gas pump at a convenience store on Highway 87 North after getting several complaints of fraudulent charges.
Detective Captain Robert Enmon said the department is investigating the skimmer, which was attached inside the pump at the Cypress Bayou Store. He said the owners of the store told officers they had no knowledge of the device.
It’s the first time Orange police have found and recovered a skimmer although there have been reports of same activity at other stores.
Complaints came for several people, including one police officer, of fraudulent charges being made in the Houston area, Captain Enmon said.
A skimmer is a magnetic strip reader that collects numbers on credit or debit card numbers to crooks, he said. PC Magazine reported the thieves will also hide a camera nearby to record the Personal Information Number (PIN), or perhaps put a fake PIN keyboard over the real one to record the number.
Some skimmers are on the outside and fit over the real card reader “like an envelope,” Captain Enmon said. People should check the card reader before inserting a card to see if it looks different. PC Magazine said a skimmer will take up extra space and may be too close to the arrows showing the direction to use the card.
“If it doesn’t look right, don’t use it,” Captain Enmon said.
He advises people to review their bank accounts once a day to see if any unauthorized withdrawals have been made. The quicker a fraud is found, the better. He said the officer who was affected by the skimmer now has a smartphone app that notifies him every time his debit card is used.
Anytime fraudulent charges are discovered the account owner should contact the bank or credit card company, plus file a complaint with their local police department, he said.
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