This is why police want you to give checkout registers a soft tug
Thieves hide thick plastic skimmers on card readers
Fayette County Sheriff's deputies are warning shoppers after discovering card skimming devices inside three local stores. Thieves placed the realistic overlays directly on top of the actual cash register card readers to steal credit card and EBT numbers. Officials advise customers to inspect the machine keypad lights and call 911 if a device loose or altered.
FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. - The Fayette County Sheriff's Office discovered illegal credit card skimming devices attached to cash registers at three different Dollar General stores after customers reported their credit card information was stolen.
Fayette County retail fraud
What we know:
The sheriff's office shared video showing an investigator removing a skimming overlay from a checkout register keypad at a Fayette County Dollar General store. These data-theft devices are manufactured to look as real as possible, allowing thieves to place them directly on top of the actual store keypad. When a customer swipes their card, the account details are saved on the hidden device as the card passes through to the real register reader.
Similar criminal equipment was recently discovered on cash registers at Dollar General stores in Hogansville, Troup County and Harris County.
Unresolved store investigations
What we don't know:
Fayette County authorities have not confirmed how long the illegal skimming equipment was attached to the store registers before discovery. Investigators have not yet released descriptions or identities of suspects responsible for placing the overlays on the machines.
Spotting terminal alterations
What you can do:
Sheriff's investigators recommend that shoppers inspect credit card machines closely inside the store and compare them against neighboring checkout lines. If one terminal looks different from the rest, there is probably a reason for the variation.
Key warning signs include a terminal with unlit keypad lights while neighboring machines are fully lit, or a machine with a plastic coating that looks thicker and stands up noticeably above the display screen. Shoppers can grab the side of the checkout keypad and give it a soft downward tug. If the terminal components come off or feel loose, investigators say you should not pull the unit completely off, but should immediately leave it alone and call 911.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, which provided video evidence from the affected retail locations, as well as a recorded interview with sheriff's investigator Kevin Zaj.