Scammers Find New Way to Steal Your Financial Information

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Michigan officials removed 12 credit- and debit-card skimming devices from fuel pumps during a two-week blitz to remove the hard-to-see devices used to steal consumers’ credit card information.

Investigators from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Weights and Measures division, which regulates gas pumps, said nine devices were removed from fuel pumps in Detroit, Lansing, Saginaw, Grand Rapids and Traverse City, according to a statement.

Two more were removed by local police departments, and a third was detected and removed by a gas station owner.

The skimming devices are equipped with small cameras and are placed inside the pump, where they take images of the consumer’s credit card information. They can’t be seen from outside the pump, and the MDARD is working with gas station owners to help them better identify them.

Those recovered were turned over to the U.S. Secret Service for investigation.

The Michigan Petroleum Association is encouraging its members to increase their dispenser inspections, and to be more aware about the fraud.

The skimmers also can be placed on automated teller machines. In June, Canton Township police warned bank customers to make a visual check of ATMs before withdrawing cash after two of the devices were found on card readers.

Also on Patch

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• Terrifying Phone Scam Reaches Michigan
• Don’t Fall for Email Scam; How to Find Sexual Predators Living in Your Neighborhood
• Watch Out for Scammers Claiming to Be IRS Agents: Police
• Discovery Exposes Risk of Using ATM on Weekends

Here’s a video showing an inspection that revealed a skimmer.