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It’s Not Just Palm Coast: Credit Card Skimming at Gas Stations Up 160% in Florida

July 26, 2017 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

A Kangaroo station in Palm Coast was one of four stations on Palm Harbor Parkway and Palm Coast Parkway where credit card skimming devices were detected. (FCSO)
A Kangaroo station in Palm Coast was one of four stations on Palm Harbor Parkway and Palm Coast Parkway where credit card skimming devices were detected. (FCSO)

Credit-card skimming devices at Florida gas stations and stores are on a dramatic rise this year.


State figures show 315 skimmers had been discovered at Florida gas pumps through July 18, compared to 120 skimmers discovered through the first seven months of 2016.

That represents a 160 percent increase in the illegal devices used to collect consumers’ credit- or debit-card information.

This year’s seven-month total already far exceeds the 219 reported devices in all of 2016 and the 169 skimmers found in 2015, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Drivers buying gas in Palm Coast were among those defrauded. A state inspector discovered at least four skimming devices at gas stations along Palm Harbor Parkway and Palm Coast Parkway last week. It’s not clear how many people were defrauded and for what amounts.

But if undetected, each skimmer is capable of collecting credit- or debit-card data from 100 consumers, with each losing an average of $1,000 to electronic theft, according to Putnam’s agency., which is responsible for gas-station inspections.

At a press conference in Orlando this month highlighting the problem, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam noted that his inspectors and law-enforcement officers have documented a continued rise since 2015 in the devices, which are typically placed inside gas-pump cabinets.

“Since that time, we have seen a steady trend upward, an increase in the number of skimmers being found around the state on these gas pumps,” Putnam said.

Palm Beach County has the most reported skimmer locations this year with 58, followed by Broward County with 57, Miami-Dade County with 26 and Pinellas and Volusia counties, each reporting 12 devices.

Although there appeared to be a correlation between larger counties, with more cars and gas stations, and the detection of skimmers, that isn’t always the case. Brevard County, with 11 skimmer locations, had more than the combined totals of Duval County, with five, and Hillsborough County, with four.

In the majority of cases, one skimmer device was reported at each location. But some had multiple skimmers, including a New Smyrna Beach gas station where four skimmers were found on July 11, records show.

Putnam has been working with the Legislature, the Florida Retail Federation and the Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association the past few years to curb the illegal activity.

In 2016, the Legislature passed a law that toughened penalties for credit-card fraud and required security devices on gas pumps, including the use of security tape to alert store employees and consumers about pump tampering.

This year, the Legislature passed another law making it illegal to possess skimmer-device equipment.

“As the third-largest state with 10,000 convenience stores and more than 100 million tourists visiting each year, Florida presents significantly more opportunities for skimming devices to be used,” said Scott Shalley, president of the Florida Retail Federation, after Gov. Rick Scott signed the latest anti-skimming legislation (HB 343) last month.

Putnam said the industry has taken steps to protect gas pumps from tampering, including moving away from a universal key system that allowed access to pumps in different locations. He said the newest stores and gas stations are deploying technology that will shut down pumps if they are opened without authorization.

But Putnam said skimmer criminals are growing more sophisticated, with some now using devices where credit-card data can be downloaded remotely, eliminating the need to retrieve skimmers from inside the pumps.

“Unfortunately, like many forms of criminal activities, the bad guys continue to evolve just like the laws continue to evolve,” Putnam said.

But Putnam also said “there are some very simple things that the traveling public can do during this summer traveling season to protect themselves.”

Among the recommendations are using cash to pay for gas; using credit cards, which typically have more consumer protections than debit cards if fraud occurs; using pumps closer to the stores, as skimmer criminals are more likely to target remote pumps; and avoiding pumps if the cabinets are open or if security tape is broken or appears altered.

“This is not a crime limited to Florida, but unfortunately it is a crime that we are seeing growth in and an increasing number of these devices are being found,” Putnam said.

–Lloyd Dunkleberger, News Service of Florida

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. South Florida says

    July 26, 2017 at 8:47 am

    This has been happening every where for a long time. Just catching up with P.C.

  2. RayD says

    July 26, 2017 at 8:52 am

    It happened to me with my debit card. My bank told me go inside and pay so I did and it happened when I paid inside. Since then, I have not used my debit card, I use a credit card with a limited line of credit and I only go inside, no pay at the pump. I want to see their faces.

  3. Robert says

    July 26, 2017 at 9:55 am

    I’m no Electronics Engineer BUT, why can’t some sort of alert/alarm be installed when an unauthorized “gizmo” is attached to the credit card internal device? Or maybe when the credit card door is opened by someone other than the station personnel? Just a thought.

  4. Sw says

    July 26, 2017 at 11:20 am

    Fraud and tech go hand in hand

  5. Wishful Thinking says

    July 26, 2017 at 12:22 pm

    Guess I’ll start paying inside first even though inconvenient not as inconvenient as having credit card fraud….

  6. Just the truth says

    July 26, 2017 at 12:36 pm

    These gas companies should provide their pumps with locks so that no one can take the cover off to install skimmers. Also they should install security camera’s so you can catch the scum bags.

  7. Why cant we see it? says

    July 26, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    I use credit only. Before I put my card anywhere, I look over the slot especially at a gas station. Now, this is not a new scam, so can I ask why do we never see a picture of this skimming device? I’ve had to google it to know what to look for, and even that yields odd results. Apparently, it must be installed overnight when the station is closed as the idiot unlocks the pump, opens it, and goes into the pump casing for the install job, and you can see the skimmer from the outside. From what I gather, they come in all shapes and sizes from duct tape to professional grade. I just think and educated consumer can spot these pretty easily, but only if we know what to look for. I look. I don’t know what I’m looking for, but I figure if I establish a baseline of what’s normal, I’ll know the abnormal.

  8. Walter troeger says

    July 26, 2017 at 2:25 pm

    Skimming also took place at the new racetrack station on route 100 as well as the station route 1 south if bunnell.

  9. Watching Closely says

    July 26, 2017 at 4:35 pm

    We all could use some information if there is a way to tell if a skimmer is in operation at a gas pump

  10. RayD says

    July 26, 2017 at 8:14 pm

    Use low line of credit credit card and pay inside and still keep an eye on your account.

  11. Layla says

    July 27, 2017 at 9:02 am

    Amazes me that the owners of these stations bear no responsibility here. If they did, fines etc., this might stop.

  12. TreeHugger says

    July 27, 2017 at 9:45 am

    Apparently the new chip cards offer no protection from skimmers. Can someone from FlaglerLive check this out and report?

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