Dozens of credit cards skimmers discovered at Georgia businesses
A credit card skimmer taken during an investigation in California. (Photo by Ted Soqui/Corbis via Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Federal and state law enforcement are warning Georgians to be careful where you swipe your credit or debit cards.
Investigators say a recent operation taking a look at payment card skimming and Electronic Benefit Transfer fraud revealed dozens of illegal devices at businesses across metro Atlanta and Columbus.
What we know:
The two-day operation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Special Investigation Unit, and local law enforcement partners across Georgia.
On Aug. 7 and 8, law enforcement agents visited more than 540 businesses, and conducted more than 3,400 inspections of ATMs, gas pumps, and point-of-sale terminals.
Skimmers found by Secret Service across metro Atlanta
A nation-wide initiative to fight fraud ended up in metro Atlanta on Thursday and Friday. In all, Secret Service agents found 40 skimmers across the area. They said that makes the area the second worst across the U.S. for skimmers by percentage.
Investigators say they found 41 skimming devices, which they say prevented a potential loss of around $4.7 million.
What they're saying:
"Criminals often steal EBT and other payment card numbers by installing illegal skimming devices on ATMs, gas pumps, and merchant point-of-sale terminals. Scammers use skimming technology to capture card information from EBT cards and encode that data onto another card with a magnetic strip. It is estimated that skimming costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year," the U.S. Secret Service said in a news release.
The agency said that they have seen an increase nationwide in skimming, especially targeting EBT cards.
What you can do:
To avoid being a victim of these scammers, officials say you should make sure to inspect ATMS or other card readers to see if there is anything that appears loose, crooked, damaged or scratched. If that's the case, do not use that card reader.
If possible, try to use tap-to-pay or chip technology.
Skimmers are more likely to be in tourist areas, so exercise caution.
If you're using a debit card at a gas station, run it as a credit card. If you have to use your PIN, use your hand to block scammers who may be using a camera to record your entry.
For ATMs, try to only use those in well-lit or indoor locations.
The Source: Information for this article came from a release by the U.S. Secret Service.