Possible Skimming Device Discovered At Sarasota Gas Pump

SARASOTA, FL — A possible skimming device has been discovered at a Sarasota gas station and police are warning residents to be alert for the signs of tampering when they stop for gas.

Genevieve Judge of the Sarasota Police Department said the device was found around 4 p.m. Monday on a 7-Eleven gas pump at 1150 North Tuttle Avenue.

"Sarasota Police officers were called to the gas station after an inspection service employee who was checking the pumps found the suspected skimming device inside pump #11," Judge said. "The pump was last inspected on June 11, 2020."

Judge said customers who filled up at the 7-Eleven on Tuttle Avenue should look for unusual transactions on their bank accounts regardless of how small the transactions may be.

"If anything seems suspicious, customers are encouraged to contact their bank immediately," Judge said.

She said motorists can reduce their chances of being targeted by choosing a gas pump close to the entrance of the store, using a credit card to pay for their gas rather than a debit card or choosing to pay inside the store with cash.

Skimmers are devices used to capture data on debit and credit cards. There have been no shortage of such incidents throughout Florida and elsewhere. They have even been reported on bank ATM machines.

While the Sarasota incident took place at a gas pump, skimmer fraud can happen anytime and anywhere you use your credit or debit card. Police say thieves in Florida are becoming more sophisticated in how they steal your personal information through skimmers, which have been found in restaurants, gas stations and even drive-thru food businesses.

It's a small device that affixes to a card reader, allowing a thief to illegally collect credit and debit card information from unsuspecting customers. Most commonly, card skimmers are placed on ATMs, gas station pumps or self-checkout machines.

The typical ATM skimmer is smaller than a deck of cards and fits over an existing card reader, says PC Mag. Not sure what a card-skimming device looks like? This website shows various skimmers on ATMs, so you know what to look for in the future.

You can also look for obvious signs of tampering with an ATM or other card-accepting machine you're about to use.

The Federal Trade Commission has warned consumers, saying that while skimmers aren't new, emerging technology is making them smaller and harder to spot.

How to Protect Your ATM Card

• Use secure ATM machines under video surveillance or inside a bank lobby. They're less likely to be tampered with.
• Pay careful attention to what the card reader and keypad normally look like on the ATMs you use most frequently.
• Don't use an ATM if the card reader appears to be added on, fits poorly or is loose. Some thieves place a fake box over the card slot that reads and records account and PIN numbers.
• Inspect the machine for items that were installed over or around the PIN pad of the ATM. Look for an attachment on the ATM that contains a small hole that is pointed in the direction of the PIN pad.
• Lightly tug the area of the card slot. Most skimming devices are attached with double-sided tape for quick removal by the crooks.
• Cover the keypad with your other hand while typing your PIN. This is the best way to ensure that your PIN number is not recorded.
• If the keypad backlight is off, that's another warning sign that a skimming device could be installed, according to a Mic.com article.
• Also, if the chip reader is deeper than normal, beware.

At gas stations, where you run your own card, pay attention to whether the machine feels different. You should always be able to keep a thumb on your card when you run it through the reader. Otherwise, that's a sign that there could be a skimmer installed, Mic.com reports.

To report a tip regarding skimmers in Sarasota, call the Sarasota Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 941-263-6070. Alternatively, call Crime Stoppers at 941-366-TIPS or visit www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com.