Skimming Device Found At Ellicott City Exxon: Police

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — A skimming device has been removed from a gas station in Ellicott City, according to the Howard County Police Department. Officers said they removed the device from Exxon on Montgomery Road on Thursday morning.

At 8:40 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1, police said an employee at the Exxon notified authorities of a potential skimming device on a gas pump at the business in the 4200 block of Montgomery Road.

Responding officers found the device and removed it from the location, police said.

Skimmers are electronic devices placed on gas pumps to allow thieves to record credit and debit card information. They are generally placed inside the gas pump cabinets, making them hard to spot before people pay.

Credit card information recorded from the skimming device is usually either used or sold by the suspect, and the victim's bank account can be drained.

This week was the not first time that thieves have placed such a device at the Exxon on Montgomery Road. In August, police said two men were arrested in connection with installing skimmers at the gas station.

SEE ALSO: 19 Skimmers Found In Howard County, Police Say

Here are ways people can try to avoid skimmers, according to the Howard County Police Department:

• Pay inside or use a gas pump that is within the view of the gas station attendant.
• Use credit instead of debit so money will not immediately be taken from the account.
• Check for signs of tampering, like loose buttons, a crooked card scanner or broken security seal.

Anyone concerned about being a victim of skimming should check bank statements and may contact the Maryland Attorney General's Identity Theft Unit at 410-576-6491 or idtheft@oag.state.md.us.

The Federal Trade Commission has also created a portal for people to report identity theft on its website.

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