Crime & Safety
33 Identity Thefts This Month
The number of identity thefts reported to Sierra Madre Police this month climbs to 33… all of which are related to the evidence of fraud skimmers that were found at Valero gas station.
Since January 1, have received 33 reports of identity thefts from residents, according to Police Chief Larry Giannone.
All of the identity thefts stem from evidence of a credit and debit card skimming device found at Valero gas station, 4 N Baldwin Ave., on December 27, Chief Giannone confirmed on Wednesday. A "fraud skimmer" collects debit and credit card information illegally when a customer swipes.
Residents are seeing fraudulent purchases in smaller dollar amounts on their accounts, followed by larger amounts. In some cases, fraudulent transactions have reached up to several hundred dollars.
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“It’s kind of like the last case,” said Chief Giannone, referencing . “We’re seeing small bits to see if the numbers will go through, and then larger amounts. I don’t believe we’ve reached the thousand-dollar mark yet.”
In a separate interview with Patch, Lt. Len Hundshamer said that residents were reporting fraudulent purchases from gas stations in the San Gabriel Valley, large chain department stores, and a truck stop in Arizona.
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Chief Giannone says that the total dollar amount charged by the scammers is not yet known, though police are working with banking institutions to pin down a number.
Though no new leads or suspects have arisen, police are actively investigating the matter. “We’re working on it every day,” said Chief Giannone.
Anyone who has purchased gas from the Valero Gas Station from December 1, 2011 thru December 27, 2011 and used a debit or credit card at the pumps should check their bank statements and report any misuse or fraud to the Sierra Madre Police Department at (626) 355-1414.