Another Bay Area Lucky Store Hit by Credit Card Scam

The number of Lucky supermarkets throughout Northern California victimized by a credit and debit card-skimming operation has climbed to 24 as of Dec. 8, Save Mart Supermarkets has announced.

Save Mart, which operates Lucky stores, reported that branches in San Leandro were hit today. Though Rohnert Park doesn't have Lucky store, area shoppers should be aware that the , as were . More than 500 store customers have contacted the company regarding fraudulent or attempted fraudulent activity, Save Mart Supermarkets said in a customer alert on its website.

Novato Patch reported that the credit card machines that were scammed — where credit card numbers were stolen — were self-checkouts.

"At this time, we strongly recommend that anyone who used our self-check terminals in the affected stores during the months of October and November consider closing their bank account and opening a new one," Stephen Ackerman, chief financial officer of Save Mart told editor Brent Ainsworth.

In a consumer advisory issued on Nov. 23, the company said it had learned that card-reading machines in the self-checkout lanes at 20 stores contained data skimming devices. The first tampered card reader was discovered during a regular inspection, the company said.

Three more stores were added to the list Monday, and the San Leandro store at 1300 Fairmont Drive was added Wednesday. The 24 affected stores are located all over the Bay Area.

"Every customer should continue checking their accounts regularly as a precaution if they used a checkout terminal in October or November," the customer advisory stated.

Local, state and federal agencies are involved in the investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service is examining the tampered card readers, company officials said.

Save Mart spokeswoman Alicia Rockwell said the Secret Service called the skimming devices "extremely sophisticated."

Only one self-checkout card reader in each of the 24 stores was compromised, and all the affected card readers were replaced as of Nov. 23, according to the company.

"At this point, we have no reason to believe our employees were involved," the company said in a statement, noting that Lucky workers were also victimized.

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