Card Skimmer Warning Issued By Berlin Police

BERLIN, CT — Local police are warning the public to be wary of devices requiring payment by card, as a local Dollar General store was found to have a so-called "skimming" device.

The Berlin Police Department said the Dollar General store on Farmington Avenue was found to have such a device on Tuesday.

Card skimmers are attachments to any credit/debit card reader that allow a thief to collect vital card information of customers without their notice.

They have been found on ATMs, gas station pumps, and self-checkout machines.

Berlin police said it isn't known how long the skimmer was located at Dollar General and they're urging the public to monitor their accounts for any suspicious activity and tell police about it.

The BPD also offered some tips to recognize these devices. They include:

• Check for alignment issues between the card reader and the panel underneath it.

• Skimmers are often placed on the top of the card reader, "making it stick out at an odd angle or cover arrows in a panel."

• Compare the card reader to others at a neighboring register or gas pump and note any differences.

• Physically inspect the card reader and keypad to see if there's anything unusual. "Feel around the reader and try to wiggle it to see if it can easily come out of place," wrote the BPD.

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To report a suspected card-skimming device, call the Berlin Police Department at 860-828-7080.

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