As you head off for the holiday weekend, the U. S. Secret Service wants you to watch out for credit card information stealing skimmers on gas pumps and ATM's.
Agents have already collected 10 to 12 skimmers in our area. A problem that started in other parts of the country has made its way to Central Texas.
"The old ways of getting your credit card information are now gone," R. Scott DeFord, U.S Secret Service Resident Agent In Charge, said.
Criminals are placing credit card skimmers at Central Texas gas station pumps and ATMs, but that's not a shock to some people in the community.
"Fraud is not typecast to a certain city or certain place... especially Waco, I can see it happening," Cooper Groves, a credit card holder, said. "We're a central hub for a lot of travel destinations. A lot of cars come through here and a lot of cars get gas. We're a target."
DeFord said when you go to a pump, look to see if it's been damaged or pried open.
"If you go up to the pump, the first thing I would do is grab ahold of where you insert your credit card, make sure it's not loose or something's wrong with it," DeFord said.
The U.S. Secret Service suggests using pumps closest to the building and avoiding the pumps on the end that may be out of reach of security cameras.
"We've reached out to the local police here and let them know just because it looks there's a white truck there and it looks like they're working on a pump, you may want to check it out," DeFord said. "Sometimes they've even put them on pumps while the business is open."
Criminals are doing the same to ATMs.
"I think it's pretty concerning, it's scary to know that I can't even trust an ATM with my card," Brooke Gabler, a credit card holder, said. "The skimmers just, they blend right into the ATM."
The U. S. Secret Service is not releasing which gas stations and ATMs criminals have targeted because their investigation is still active.
Copyright 2018 KXXV. All rights reserved.
