Jim Rosica
When at the pump, try to avoid getting scammed by a “skimmer,” Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says.
Putnam, whose office regulates the state’s gasoline pumps, warned drivers planning to hit the road over Labor Day weekend to be wary of tampered card readers.
“Skimmers are devices that illegally capture consumers’ credit or debit card information,” a press release said. “While the number of skimmers … found on gas pumps is relatively low compared to the total number of pumps in Florida, identity theft wreaks havoc on people’s lives.”
The trouble is that skimmers are virtually impossible to detect at a glance, since scammers insert them into the card reader on a pump.
Putnam said his inspectors found and removed nine skimmers just in the last month: One in Brevard County, one in Broward, two in Lake, one in Miami-Dade, two in Palm Beach, one in Seminole and one in Washington.
The department recommends the following steps to avoid getting scammed:
- Pay in cash inside the store to ensure credit card information stays safe.
- Check to make sure the gas pump dispenser cabinet is closed and has not been tampered with. Many stations are now putting a piece of security tape over the cabinet to ensure it has not been opened by unauthorized individuals.
- Use a gas pump closer to the front of the store. Thieves often place “skimmers” at the gas pumps farther away from the store so they are not noticed as quickly.
- Use a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit cards have better fraud protection, and the money is not deducted immediately from an account.
- If using a debit card at the pump, choose to run it as a credit card instead of putting a PIN number in. That way, the PIN number is safe.
- Monitor bank accounts regularly to spot any unauthorized charges.
- Consumers who suspect their credit card number has been compromised should report it immediately to authorities and their credit card company.
Drivers who think a gas pump has been tampered with should let the gas station manager know, the release said.
They can also alert local law enforcement or call the department’s consumer protection and information hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832).
