SHOPPERS have been warned to stay vigilant by identifying skimming devices at self-checkout. ..Read Full Article
Police are asking customers in a Maryland city to check their credit card information after a skimming device was found at a local Dollar General.
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An employee of the St. Mary’s store, which is about two hours south of Baltimore, initially suspected a register was malfunctioning before reporting it to the police.
They then found a plastic piece mimicking a keypad taped on the self-checkout machine.
Police were notified of the skimming device and responded to the incident last Sunday, per the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.
Skimming devices steal credit card information and are covertly designed to look like a checkout device.
They can fit onto ATMs and other chip readers to steal customers’ information and send it to fraudsters.
Dollar General customers are being warned to check their bank or credit card statements for fraudulent activity after the police’s discovery in St. Mary’s County.
Those who made a purchase between May 24 and May 26 at the Potomac Way location in Charlotte Hall could be victims of the scam.
Customers who were impacted by the scam should call the Sheriff’s Office at 301-475-8008 to file a report.
CATCH THEM
The suspects of the scam have not yet been charged for leaving the skimming device at the Maryland store.
Surveillance footage captured two individuals entering the store on May 24 around 11:51 am, according to St. Mary’s police.
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The footage then showed the two individuals separating with one attaching the device to the self-checkout machine.
Both suspects then left the store and appeared to be traveling on foot.
One individual was identified as a male with “bushy hair, a dark mustache, a dark-colored tattoo on the left side of his neck, and a
piercing in his left ear,” according to police.
The second suspect is also a male described as white or Middle Eastern with “darker skin, long dark hair, and a goatee.”
What is a skimmer device?
A skimmer device is a fraud tool designed to steal sensitive information from credit or debit cards during transactions.
- Imagine a skimmer device as a sneaky thief that hides on ATMs or card machines.
- Its job is to secretly steal your credit or debit card information when you use it for a transaction.
- These devices are like tiny spies that can copy your card details, including the card number and PIN, without you even realizing it.
- Skimmers can be cleverly disguised to look just like the regular card reader, making them hard to spot.
- Once they have your information, bad guys can use it to make fake cards or buy things without your permission, causing a lot of trouble and stress.
- It’s important to always be cautious and check for anything unusual on card machines before using them to protect yourself from these sneaky devices.
Officials are asking the community to contact local police with information about the suspects or the incident.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and Dollar General for comment but did not immediately hear back.
KEEP A CLOSE EYE
Maryland shoppers are not the only Americans impacted by skimming scams.
Gas stations and ATM readers have also been targets of skimming devices.
Customers should be cautious when swiping their cards by making sure the device doesn’t feel loose or detachable.
Shoppers can also spot a skimmer by looking at the borders of the device and making sure the keys light up when in use.
Additionally, a large space before the last row of the keys on the device could indicate a skimmer.
Multiple 7-Eleven locations have also recently been targeted, including a location in Washington DC.
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