WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR SO YOU DON’T BECOME A VICTIM. BEFORE YOU USE YOUR CARD. HOLD ON. SCAMMERS ARE USING THESE TO STEAL YOUR INFORMATION, AND THIS MONTH THE ISSUE IS RAMPING UP ACROSS KENTUCKY. I USE MY CARD A LOT AND IT SCARES ME TO THINK THAT SOMEBODY OUT THERE, CHERYL STEENERSON, SHOPS AT THE SHELBYVILLE SAVE-A-LOT, THE STORE THAT INITIALLY SPARKED THE WARNING. ON JULY 8TH, THE STORE MANAGER SPOTTED A CREDIT CARD SKIMMER, A SNEAKY DEVICE THAT ATTACHES TO CARD READERS AND SECRETLY RECORDS DATA. IT’S A SERIOUS CRIME BECAUSE IT CAN GET INTO THE YOU KNOW, THE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THAT THAT THEY’RE TAKING FROM PEOPLE, SHELBYVILLE POLICE IMMEDIATELY CONFISCATED THE SKIMMER, WHICH SERGEANT KELLY CABLE SAYS IS INSTALLED BY CRIMINALS. THEY INSTANTLY SCAM YOU WHEN YOU TAP, INSERT OR SWIPE. THEY DON’T HAVE TO EVER MAKE ANY PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE VICTIM. AND YOU DON’T KNOW. AGAIN, IF YOU’RE NOT MONITORING YOUR ACCOUNT, YOU WON’T KNOW UNTIL YOU GET YOUR STATEMENT LATER ON THAT YOU HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED. CREDIT CARD SKIMMERS HAVE ALSO BEEN DETECTED IN LOUISVILLE, LEXINGTON, AND ELIZABETHTOWN, AND THEY’RE MOST COMMON IN BUSY RETAIL STORES AND GAS STATIONS. WHEN YOU GO TO CHECK OUT, HERE ARE THE THINGS YOU NEED TO WATCH FOR BEFORE BUYING ANYTHING. SIGNS. THE MACHINE HAS BEEN TAMPERED WITH. IF THE CARD READER SEEMS LOOSE, CROOKED, OR DAMAGED, DON’T USE IT. IF PART OF THE MACHINE IS A DIFFERENT COLOR, THAT’S ANOTHER RED FLAG AND SO ARE GRAPHICS. OUT OF ALIGNMENT. SHELBYVILLE POLICE ADVISE YOU TO PULL AT THE EDGES OF THE KEYPAD BEFORE ENTERING YOUR PIN. IF THE NUMBERS ARE HARD TO PRESS OR FEEL THICK, THAT CAN ALSO BE A SIGN OF A SKIMMER. ANYTIME I GET GAS. ANYTIME I USE MY CARD, I’M GOING TO JIGGLE THAT THING AND PULL ON IT AND MAKE SURE IT’S GOOD BEFORE I’M PUTTING MY CARD IN IT. IF YOU SPOT A CREDIT CARD SKIMMER OR NOTICE ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS, TELL THE STORE MANAGER WHO CAN THEN CONTACT THE POLI
WATCH OUT: Police warn shoppers to monitor for signs of credit card skimmers
Police are warning local shoppers to watch out when paying for items at retail stores and gas stations.Scammers are using credit card skimmers to sneakily steal payment information, and now, the statewide issue is ramping up this summer. This month, skimmers have been detected in Louisville, Lexington, Elizabethtown and Shelbyville.”I use my card a lot, and it scares me to think that somebody is out there,” shopper Cheryl Steenerson told WLKY.Steenerson frequents the Shelbyville Save A Lot on Midland Road, the store that initially sparked the warning. On July 8, the store manager spotted a credit card skimmer attached to a card reader.”It’s a serious crime because it can get into the, you know, the thousands and thousands of dollars that they’re taking from people,” Shelbyville Police Sergeant Kelly Cable explained.The police department immediately confiscated the skimmer, which Cable said was installed by criminals. Anyone can instantly become a victim when they tap, insert, or swipe.”They don’t have to ever make any physical contact with the victim,” Cable said. “If you’re not monitoring your account, you won’t know until you get your statement later on that you have been victimized.”According to Cable, busy retail stores and gas stations are most commonly targeted by scammers. Here are the signs to watch for before buying anything:Signs the machine has been tampered withCard reader is loose, crooked or damagedPart of the machine is a different colorGraphics are out of alignmentNumbers on the pin pad are thick or difficult to pressIf you spot any of those signs on a machine, don’t use it.”Anytime I use my card, I’m going to jiggle that thing and pull on it and make sure it’s good before I’m putting my card in it,” Steenerson said.Anyone who spots a credit card skimmer or notices anything suspicious should tell the store manager, who can then contact the police.Cable also recommends shoppers monitor their bank accounts daily and turn on alerts for all purchases so they will be alerted to any unauthorized activity. He said using cash or tap pay can help prevent your information from getting stolen.
Police are warning local shoppers to watch out when paying for items at retail stores and gas stations.
Scammers are using credit card skimmers to sneakily steal payment information, and now, the statewide issue is ramping up this summer. This month, skimmers have been detected in Louisville, Lexington, Elizabethtown and Shelbyville.
“I use my card a lot, and it scares me to think that somebody is out there,” shopper Cheryl Steenerson told WLKY.
Steenerson frequents the Shelbyville Save A Lot on Midland Road, the store that initially sparked the warning. On July 8, the store manager spotted a credit card skimmer attached to a card reader.
“It’s a serious crime because it can get into the, you know, the thousands and thousands of dollars that they’re taking from people,” Shelbyville Police Sergeant Kelly Cable explained.
The police department immediately confiscated the skimmer, which Cable said was installed by criminals. Anyone can instantly become a victim when they tap, insert, or swipe.
“They don’t have to ever make any physical contact with the victim,” Cable said. “If you’re not monitoring your account, you won’t know until you get your statement later on that you have been victimized.”
According to Cable, busy retail stores and gas stations are most commonly targeted by scammers. Here are the signs to watch for before buying anything:
- Signs the machine has been tampered with
- Card reader is loose, crooked or damaged
- Part of the machine is a different color
- Graphics are out of alignment
- Numbers on the pin pad are thick or difficult to press
If you spot any of those signs on a machine, don’t use it.
“Anytime I use my card, I’m going to jiggle that thing and pull on it and make sure it’s good before I’m putting my card in it,” Steenerson said.
Anyone who spots a credit card skimmer or notices anything suspicious should tell the store manager, who can then contact the police.
Cable also recommends shoppers monitor their bank accounts daily and turn on alerts for all purchases so they will be alerted to any unauthorized activity. He said using cash or tap pay can help prevent your information from getting stolen.
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