DocDon
03-21-2004, 11:11 PM
Keys Easily Obtained From Internet, Special Agent Says
March 16, 2004
You could be the target of a thief the next time you pay for gas at the pump. A little device could "skim" your credit or debit card number.
In a videotape, a man is seen pulling up to a gasoline pump and, in seconds, unlocking a panel.
The man is not a criminal, but a law enforcement agent showing just how easy it is for thieves to open up pumps and steal your money.
"The way it's carried out. The way people are victimized and the hope of trying to catch somebody, it's almost the perfect crime," said Bill Miles, a special agent.
It's called skimming, and it's a scam that targets anyone who uses debit or credit cards to pay at the pump.
How does it work? When customers swipe their cards at the pump, a skimming device, installed by thieves just behind the panel, records all the information from the card's magnetic strip.
It records your name, address, account number. There is no way to tell if a pump's been tampered with.
"That's one of the terrible things about this crime: you have no idea," said Miles.
"It's Russian roulette. Is it this pump? Is it that pump? Is this the station?" said Miles.
Miles believes thieves target busy gas stations with plenty of pumps where they can swipe hundreds of cards in no time.
They use that information to make counterfeit cards for purchases and ATM withdrawals.
Just how quickly can someone install a skimming device?
"I think it can be installed, probably in under 15 seconds," said Miles.
It's easy if you have a manufacturer's key that unlocks most gas pumps across the country.
They're not difficult to come by and you can get them from the Internet.
Melody Shimmell is spearheading a crusade to educate customers about the scam. A banking employee, it's cost her regional bank almost $10,000 in just two months' time.
"The whole country is plastic-driven because of convenience. That makes us all very vulnerable," said Shimmell.
To avoid the possibility of being "skimmed," use cash at the pump. Most people, however, are reluctant to give up using credit cards.
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My comment:
How about just walking inside and swiping the card at the terminal on the counter? No need to give up using credit cards.
March 16, 2004
You could be the target of a thief the next time you pay for gas at the pump. A little device could "skim" your credit or debit card number.
In a videotape, a man is seen pulling up to a gasoline pump and, in seconds, unlocking a panel.
The man is not a criminal, but a law enforcement agent showing just how easy it is for thieves to open up pumps and steal your money.
"The way it's carried out. The way people are victimized and the hope of trying to catch somebody, it's almost the perfect crime," said Bill Miles, a special agent.
It's called skimming, and it's a scam that targets anyone who uses debit or credit cards to pay at the pump.
How does it work? When customers swipe their cards at the pump, a skimming device, installed by thieves just behind the panel, records all the information from the card's magnetic strip.
It records your name, address, account number. There is no way to tell if a pump's been tampered with.
"That's one of the terrible things about this crime: you have no idea," said Miles.
"It's Russian roulette. Is it this pump? Is it that pump? Is this the station?" said Miles.
Miles believes thieves target busy gas stations with plenty of pumps where they can swipe hundreds of cards in no time.
They use that information to make counterfeit cards for purchases and ATM withdrawals.
Just how quickly can someone install a skimming device?
"I think it can be installed, probably in under 15 seconds," said Miles.
It's easy if you have a manufacturer's key that unlocks most gas pumps across the country.
They're not difficult to come by and you can get them from the Internet.
Melody Shimmell is spearheading a crusade to educate customers about the scam. A banking employee, it's cost her regional bank almost $10,000 in just two months' time.
"The whole country is plastic-driven because of convenience. That makes us all very vulnerable," said Shimmell.
To avoid the possibility of being "skimmed," use cash at the pump. Most people, however, are reluctant to give up using credit cards.
-------------------------------------
My comment:
How about just walking inside and swiping the card at the terminal on the counter? No need to give up using credit cards.