PLYMOUTH, Connecticut — Plymouth Police say they found a card skimmer at the Citgo station on Main Street in the Terryville section of town. Police said they checked the machines after seeing complaints linked to the gas station after people reported having fraudulent charges on their cards.
Police did not say how many cards were compromised.
Zach Godbout of Terryville says his girlfriend was one of the victims.
"She had some random charges show up on her account both from Upstate New York and basically she got a call
from Webster Bank," he said.
He said fortunately, the bank caught it early.
"It was only a couple of initial charges. It was like a dollar and then a 50-cent charge and typically that's a test to see if they let it go through that's when they really hit you hard so basically, they caught it with just those little charges," he said.
Other people FOX61 spoke to on social media, weren't as lucky. Some said they had hundreds of dollars taken from their accounts.
A card skimmer is placed right where you insert your card.
"It's a quick and easy way for scammers to steal a lot of information and gas pumps are one of the only transactions we make out in public with a physical card that there's not another person present," said Kaitlyn Krasselt, communications director, for the Dept. of Consumer Protection.
There are a couple of ways that you can spot a card skimmer, if the reader itself is loose or if you put your card in, and it tugs a little bit when you're taking it out.
"There's a seal typically somewhere on the gas station pump, it's a little different at every station but if that's broken definitely notify an attendant, if you're not sure, let an attendant know," said Krasselt.
Since card skimmers are many times found at gas stations, there are ways you can be cautious.
"The easiest way to protect yourself is to pay in cash or pay inside," said Krasselt.
If you notice suspicious charges on your account, call your bank right away and the police. A worker at the gas station tells FOX61 they are open 24 hours and have security cameras so he is not sure when someone could have placed the skimmer on the pump.
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