The Tulsa Police Department has recovered 4 credit card skimming devices from local gas stations within the past week.
The Financial Crimes Unit is working in collaboration with a Federal Law Enforcement Agency during this active investigation.
A credit card skimmer is an illegal device that looks identical to a point-of-sale credit card terminal and fits over the top of the legitimate card reader. Credit card skimmers are often found on gas pumps and ATM machines. If a person swipes their credit card through a skimmer -- thinking they are paying for gas or getting money out of the ATM -- a suspect can collect and steal all the data on your credit card.
The easiest way to detect a credit card skimmer is to yank, pull, and tug. Before you put your card into a point-of-sale terminal, wiggle a few parts of the machine to see if anything is loose.
Tips:
Credit card skimmers often stick out a little bit further than the real point of sale credit card terminal.
Gently tug or wiggle the credit card terminal prior to making a payment. Skimmers are often held on place by magnets or weak adhesives.
If available, utilize the “tap to pay” feature that many gas stations and point of sale machines offer.
If you locate a skimmer, please notify the manager of the business, and call the Tulsa Police Department non-emergency line at 918-596-9222.