Officials have issued an urgent warning about a sophisticated self-checkout scam targeting customers’ credit card information.
After recent alerts of skimmers appearing at Walmart and Kroger stores, scammers are now targeting gas stations.
The latest discovery is of a skimmer at a Sheetz self-checkout in Beavercreek, Ohio.
In response, Beavercreek Police have released images of two men suspected of installing the device and are requesting public assistance to identify them.
Card skimmers, often discreetly hidden on card readers or ATMs, are small Aldevices that capture information from credit and debit cards, including card numbers and PINs.
Criminals can then use this information to create counterfeit cards or make unauthorized purchases online.
‘They do look pretty deceitful. They’re blended pretty well,’ Beavercreek local Jason Elting told WHIOTV.
The card skimmer was found at a Sheetz gas station in Beavercreek, Ohio
‘I try to be safe with my credit card anyway, I don’t use my debit card. I just use a credit card and watch it, make sure nothing fraudulent shows up,’ Elting, who frequently uses the gas station, said.
Even so, the incident has made him a little more wary about how he shops.
Card skimmers have also plagued self-checkouts at major outlets such as Walmart and Kroger.
Earlier this year staff at a Walmart in Connecticut discovered a card skimmer on one of their machines, some 18 days after it had been placed there.
The suspects in that case were also caught on camera fitting skimming device onto machines at nearby LaBonne’s Markets.
Similarly, fraudsters managed to place a device on a self-checkout payment system of a Kroger grocery store in Atlanta, Georgia.
The trick was discovered by a store employee who immediately contacted Atlanta Police.
How to avoid card skimming scams
Local county auditor Kraig Hagler also issued advice to help keep local shoppers safe.
‘I use my Apple wallet to make most of my purchases. It doesn’t expose your actual credit card number,’ Hagler told the outlet.
Beavercreek Police have released a photo of the two men believed to have placed the device
Card skimmers have been found at gas stations and in supermarket self-checkout aisles
‘It creates a unique number for that one-time purchase. Makes it really hard for someone to get your actual account information to take advantage of you,’ he explained.
Hagler advised that those who do not use Apple Pay should use a credit card, as it is safer than a debit card because it isn’t connected to your actual cash.
‘If it’s an older establishment, but all of a sudden has a new credit card processor and the other ones still look out of date or old that should raise a red flag,’ Hagler added.
Dr. Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of computer science at the University of New Haven previously recommended remaining vigilant by trying to detect anomalies.
Shoppers can do this by touching around the card reader, frequently checking credit card payments for unusual transactions and even setting up transaction notifications on a smartphone.
