SHOPPERS have been warned to remain vigilant in identifying skimming devices at self-checkout.
Police are asking customers in a Maryland town to check their credit card information after a fraud device was found at a local Dollar General.
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An employee at the St. Mary’s store, about two hours south of Baltimore, initially suspected a register was faulty before reporting it to police.
They then found a plastic piece imitating a keyboard glued to the self-service machine.
Police were notified about the skimming device and responded to the incident last Sunday, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office.
Skimming devices steal credit card information and are secretly designed to look like a checkout device.
They can fit into ATMs and other chip readers to steal customer information and send it to fraudsters.
Dollar General customers are being warned to check their bank or credit card statements for fraudulent activity following the discovery by police in St. Louis County.
Anyone who made a purchase between May 24 and 26 at the Potomac Way store in Charlotte Hall could be a victim of the scam.
Customers affected by the scam should call the Sheriff’s Office at 301-475-8008 to file a report.
PICK THEM UP
The scam suspects have not yet been charged for leaving the extraction device at the Maryland store.
Surveillance footage captured two individuals entering the store on May 24 at approximately 11:51 a.m., according to St. Louis police.
The footage showed the two individuals separating and one of them connecting the device to the self-checkout machine.
The two suspects exited the store and appeared to be traveling on foot.
One individual was identified as a man with “thick hair, a dark mustache, a dark tattoo on the left side of his neck, and a
piercing in the left ear”, according to police.
The second suspect is also a man 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 fraudulent tool designed to steal sensitive credit or debit card information during transactions.
- Imagine a skimmer device as a sneaky thief that hides in ATMs or card machines.
- Its function is to secretly steal your credit or debit card information when you use it for a transaction.
- These devices are like little spies that can copy your card details, including your card number and PIN, without you knowing.
- Skimmers can be cleverly disguised to look like a regular card reader, making them difficult to detect.
- Once they get your information, crooks 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 card machines for anything unusual before using them to protect yourself from these sneaky devices.
Authorities are asking the community to contact local police with information about the suspects or the incident.
The US Sun reached out to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and Dollar General for comment but did not immediately hear back.
KEEP A CAREFUL EYE
Maryland shoppers aren’t the only Americans affected by skimming scams.
Gas stations and ATM readers have also been targeted by skimming devices.
Customers should be cautious when swiping cards, making sure the device does not appear loose or detachable.
Buyers can also identify a skimmer by looking at the edges of the device and making sure the keys light up when in use.
Additionally, a large space before the last row of device keys may indicate signs of skimmer.
Several 7-Eleven locations have also been targeted recently, including a location in Washington DC.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
