Credit Card Skimmer Found On Pinellas County Gas Pump

Dunedin, FL — Motorists who used a specific gas pump at a Dunedin Mobil station over the past few weeks are being urged to check their banking receipts after a credit card skimmer was found by Pinellas County deputies.

According to the sheriff’s office, the incident was reported at 9:30 a.m. June 21. The sheriff’s office released information about the discovery on Monday, June 27.

The credit card skimming device was found at pump No. 6 at the Mobil Bayshore Breeze Market and Grill, 2600 Bayshore Blvd., the agency wrote in an email to media. The device was installed on the pump sometime between late May and June 21, the agency noted.

This is the second time a skimmer has been found at the station’s pumps, detectives said. The first incident was reported on May 25, 2015.

Skimmers are electronic devices that are placed on gas pumps to allow thieves to record credit and debit card information. Skimmers are generally placed inside the gas pump cabinets, making them very difficult for motorists to spot before they pay.

Credit card skimmers are an ongoing concern in Florida. In April 2015, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced it had worked with local law enforcement agencies across the state to check more than 6,000 gas stations. All told, about 81 skimmers turned up.

Customers who used the pump at the Dunedin gas station are being asked to check for unauthorized transactions on their credit and banking accounts. Those who find phony charges are asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 727-582-6200.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Detective James Holden at the same sheriff’s office number. Tips may also be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-873-TIPS or by going online to www.crimestoppersofpinellas.org.

Photo courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office