Thieves try to skim gas from local gas station

Stealing your personal information at the gas pump is something drivers from Watsonville to the Peninsula have fallen victim to, and now these thieves are back.

On Wednesday, Pacific Grove police responded to the Shell station on Forest Avenue after reports of newly discovered skimming devices. Customers tried using two pumps and when they didn’t work, they alerted the staff. Staff checked them and found the devices. This gas station has new technology where if anybody tries to tamper with the card reader, the entire system will shut down.

Resident Tim Bartlett knows the dangers of skimming and believes it’s getting worse. He used to work at a gas station.

“I used to work at a service station and they used to make us check regularly the insides of the machines because people would come late and night and break into the machine and put their skimmer in there,” Bartlett said. “If you didn’t know what you were looking for half the time, you wouldn’t catch it because it’s a very small USB-type device. And they will usually put it somewhere very discreet. I’ve seen instances where they’ve put the skimmer in the machine and there’s a receiver in the garbage can right next to it. And what they would do is take their USB and throw it in the trash and take the receiver that has all the data with them.”

In the meantime, the Better Business Bureau suggests customers take simple steps.

1: Use your credit card over a debit card. When they guess incorrectly, not knowing the expiration date, the card is declined. With a debit card, they have your pin number and can go on a shopping spree until they are caught. Many banks also offer less liability protection on debit cards than credit cards. You may, or may not get your money back on your debit card. If they empty your bank account, you won’t be able to pay bills while the bank works it out.

2: Use your card inside the gas station. While paying at the pump gets you in and out quickly, using the card inside helps you avoid skimmers. Also consider that most employees are on camera, and the employer knows who they are.

3: If you must use your card outside, try to get gas as close to the cashier as possible. Skimmers usually go for the farthest point from the cashier to stay out of sight of people and cameras.

4: Take a good look at the pump and your surroundings. Credit card skimmers used to be placed inside of a machine but now most gas stations use a seal so you can see if it was tampered with. Look for the seal. If it is torn, damaged or says void then don’t use it. Thieves use external keypads, known as overlays and usually target one pump. Look at a credit card area on one pump, and compare it to yours. Look for Different styles or colors of keypads. Jiggle the keypad or credit card insert to see if it moves. You might also look for someone just hanging around, especially in a car. Bluetooth technology allows criminals to stay farther away. If in doubt, go somewhere else.

5: Monitor your bank account online or via the phone. Check your accounts for unusual activity, preferably every two days, or three times a week. If the bank doesn’t spot it, it could go on for months; good security for everyone.

Bartlett says he doesn’t have to worry.

“I pay cash,” Bartlett said. “I do cash. It’s not that I don’t trust debit or credit. It’s just for me, it’s a lot easier, I’m not taking that risk at all by paying cash.”

Even though the pumps were deactivated during the initial skimming, police say if you used a debit or credit card to buy gas there, you should keep an eye on your accounts as a precaution.

“I’m glad there are some preventative measures because cyber crime is a big problem,” Bartlett said.