News Review – 11/28/18

One hundred twenty-nine credit card skimmers have been reported so far at gas pumps in Arizona this year alone.

That is a new state record and more than double the 57 skimmers found in all of 2017. Before this year, the most skimmers ever found was 88 in 2016.

This is an issue all throughout the state, not just in the Phoenix Metro area – from Lake Havasu and Kingman to Tucson and Flagstaff – all parts of the state are being hit.

Recent Arizona media coverage has cast gas stations as the problem, claiming that they are not doing enough to protect consumers from skimmers. While this perspective ignores that the store itself is a victim of a criminal scheme, it reflects the loss of faith consumers experience when they associate the theft of their financial information with a particular location.

To minimize the risk of being skimmed, NACS recommends that site personnel inspect the fuel island daily for any signs of tampering. Other suggestions include (1) using serialized security tape over all access doors, (2) re-keying locks on dispenser doors that access electronic payment data, and (2) investing in anti-breach kits for dispensers offered by manufacturers – this can be very costly.

Unfortunately, none of these suggestions is a silver bullet as skimmer thieves have proven to be very determined and able to evade retailers’ best efforts to stop them.

Skimmers steal credit card and debit information by installing a third-party card reading device, like the one pictured above. Skimming devices are not only an issue at fuel pumps; they can be connected to ATMs, self-checkout kiosks and other point-of-sale units. They only take 7-8 seconds to install. Some are equipped with Bluetooth technology that allows thieves to access stolen card information remotely.