Credit Card Skimmer Found At Canton Gas Station

CANTON, MI — State officials found a number of credit card skimmers placed inside gas pumps, including one at a Canton gas station, according to a state news release.

The Sunoco gas station at 40200 Michigan Ave. was listed in the inspection blitz from the weights and measures division of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

"These criminals continue to try and use gas pumps to commit theft and steal your personal information for fraudulent use," MDARD Director Gary McDowell said. "These inspections are just another way MDARD is protecting Michigan consumers at the pump. Kudos to our weights and measures staff for their vigilance in protecting consumers pocketbooks and personal identification."

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Credit card skimmers are difficult to spot because it is a small, thin chip that's tucked inside the slot of a card reader.

Once you slide your a credit or debt card through the card reader, the skimmer will read the card's magnetic strip, storing the card number, expiration date and cardholder's name, according to U.S. News.

"Criminals who engage in this type of illegal activity exploit and manipulate the very technology that we depend on to conduct secure financial transactions in the retail marketplace," Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan Timothy Waters said. "The FBI and its local, state, and federal law enforcement partners are committed to protecting consumers, businesses, and financial institutions from fraud schemes conducted by criminal enterprises likes this one."

Other locations where skimmers were found:

• Admiral, 3221 Division S., Wyoming
• Admiral, 5342 Westnedge, Portage
• Admiral, 4315 Chicago Drive, Grandville
• Mobil, 1396 Ecorse Road, Ypsilanti
• Sunoco, 5843 S. Martin Luther King, Lansing
• Mobil, 1500 Haslett Rd, East Lansing
• FlexxMart, 496 Main St. Belleville