DFW-area gas pumps being targeted with identity-stealing “skimmers”

by PegNews wire

The skimmers are as small as matchboxes and are much less noticeable than more cumbersome ones in the past.

If see any Matchbox cars hanging off a gas station card reader, beware.

Multiple gas stations in the DFW area have been hit by identity-stealing thieves using newfangled "skimmers" that gather customers' debit card info. Authorities say the new skimmers can be as small as matchboxes and aren't as noticeable as more cumbersome ones in the past.

While thieves have hit stations in several cities in the area, Plano has been affected the most, with police there reporting around 50 cases since late September. Great -- why you gotta hate on Plano?

Posted by Alex B.

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Collin Gouldin, says:

skimmers aren't new. But they have been greatly improved in the last month. Before a thief had to remove the skimmer to collect the date. But now, the skimmers send a SMS message to the thief's phone. Making it a lot harder to catch them.

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1 year, 1 month ago
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Alex Bentley, says:

Didn't claim they were new, Collin -- said "<a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/newfangled">newfangled</a>," meaning different than past ones.

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jtmbls, says:

Somebody tried to use my debit card number at a gas station in Texarkana a few weeks ago but thanks to my hyper-vigilant (and somewhat annoying) credit union fraud department, they didn’t get a dime.

I heard on the radio that these little cameras not only pick up your card number but you punching in your pin too. When you pay at the pump, always use the credit option.