Credit Card Skimmer Found On Pinellas County Pump

DUNEDIN, FL — The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents who used a particular gas station in Dunedin to check their credit and debit card receipts.

A credit card skimmer was found on a pump at the Rally Convenient Store, 1625 Main St., in Dunedin on Monday, Feb. 29.

“The device was installed on the pump sometime between 6:30 a.m. and 4:50 p.m. that same day,” the agency wrote in an email to media.

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. Last April, 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.

Rally gas station customers who spot unauthorized transactions on their accounts are asked to notify the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office at 727-582-6200. Anyone with information about the case itself is asked to call Detective Plourde at the same number or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS. Residents may also report tips by going online to www.crimestoppersofpinellas.org.

Photo courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

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