Millions Stolen By Skimmers At Florida Gas Pumps This Year

TAMPA, FL — Thieves using sophisticated card skimmers are stealing millions of dollars from gas customers throughout Florida, including residents and visitors in Tampa Bay, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The department is inspecting gas pumps as part of a statewide crackdown on skimmers and have discovered the devices on gas pumps throughout Tampa Bay.

In recent weeks, inspectors have found 259 devices and the numbers continue to mount. Since the beginning of the year, more than 900 skimmers have been discovered.

Joined by Inspector Joe Scobbo of the Division of Consumer Services, Commissioner Nikki Fried stressed the urgent need for stronger consumer protections.

“Florida is known for beaches, oranges, Disney, but also fraud — we are the top state for scams, and we can't let that continue,” said Fried. “Since my election, I've made fighting consumer fraud and consumer protection top priorities in my agenda — and a big part of that fraud is happening at the gas pump. It's important we're sharing with consumers exactly what to look for, because each skimmer can defraud consumers up to a million dollars. We're here to let Floridians know there's a lot of fraud out there, but we're working with law enforcement to crack down on this criminal activity.”

This past legislative session, Fried worked with lawmakers on legislation to address the growing problem of skimmers.

"Senate Bill 1652 and House Bill 1239 were common-sense, bipartisan bills to establish the Consumer Fraud, Identity Theft and Skimmer Working Group statewide interagency task force," said Fried. "Unfortunately, the bills did not pass during this year's session."

Fried said she intends to see the legislation filed again next year.

She said Florida has the highest fraud rate per capita in the nation, with $84 million lost to fraud in 2018, about $400 lost per person. Florida consumers filed 15 percent of the 1.4 million fraud reports to the FTC in 2018, while accounting for only 6.5 percent of the population.

Skimmers are small electronic devices illegally installed inside gas pumps. They first began to appear in Florida in 2015 and have grown exponentially since. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Bureau of Standards inspects 464,000 gas pumps at 19,000 gas stations, truck stops and marinas each year, and has removed more than 2,800 skimmers since 2015.

On July 16, Clearwater Police reported finding a new, more sophisticated type of skimmer that allows thieves easier access to customers' credit card information.

The skimmer was discovered at the 7-Eleven at 205 N. Belcher Road. It was Bluetooth-equipped, allowing the thief to sit nearby and gather card information without ever visiting the pump again. Police believe the device had been in place about a week.

The skimmers found by state inspectors range from simple devices that clamp onto internal wiring that criminals must later retrieve to high-tech devices that deliver stolen credit card data via Bluetooth and automated text messaging.

Since July 1, 17 skimmers have been found on pumps at Bay Area gas stations.

• 3 at the Jump Start Gas & Deli/BP on Lithia-Pinecrest Road in Brandon July 2 and 16
• 2 at Perfect Station/Sunoco on Belcher Road in Dunedin July 2
• 1 at a 7-Eleven in Seffner July 15
• 3 at Hamners Mobil on Fletcher Avenue
• 1 at a Citgo gas station in Land O Lakes July 3
• 1 at the Quick In Quick Out Food Store/Citgo on North Washington Boulevard in Sarasota July 16
• 6 at the 1 Stepp Food Store and Marathon gas station, 4001 S. MacDill Ave., July 19.

Fried offered five tips for consumers to avoid credit card fraud by gas pump skimmers:

• Take a close look at the pump: Avoid using pumps that are open or unlocked, have had the tamper-evident security tape cut or removed, or otherwise appear unusual. Some newer pumps may also have encrypted credit card readers — look for an illuminated green lock symbol near the credit card reader.
• Use a credit card — not a debit card: If a credit card number is skimmed, you're protected by the card issuer's zero-liability policy. But a stolen debit card number could be far more damaging. If you must use a debit card, choose to use it as credit, instead of selecting debit and entering your PIN.
• Pay inside with cash or credit, instead of at the pump: It takes just seconds for criminals to place a skimmer in a gas pump but it's far less likely that a fraudster placed a skimmer on the payment terminal in front of the clerk inside the gas station or convenience store.
• Choose gas pumps closest to a physical building: Don't use gas pumps out of the attendant's line of sight, such as those around a corner or behind a building.
• Check your card statements and sign up for fraud alerts: Nearly every credit card issuer offers fraud alerts, and many will email or text you when your card is used at a gas station. Check your credit card and debit card transactions frequently to make sure no fraudulent activity has occurred.
• When in doubt, consumers should contact the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. All consumer complaints will be investigated. To file a consumer complaint, visit FloridaConsumerHelp.com or call 1-800-HELP-FLA.

Related story: Clearwater Police Find New Kind Of Skimmer On Gas Pump