Credit Card Skimming Devices Found at Three Central New York Gas Pumps

If you've gotten gas with your credit card in central New York, check your account. Credit card skimmers have been discovered at three convenience stores.

Montgomery County Executive Matthew Ossenfort announced that three separate incidents have been discovered this month where skimming devices were found at three different local convenience stores. Skimmers are electronic credit card readers that thieves use to attempt to capture personal identification numbers from consumers.

“The County is following the proper protocol and working with the FBI and New York State to remove these devices and help keep people’s personal information protected,” Ossenfort said. “The Department of Weights & Measures from both Montgomery and Fulton counties are working together to combat this issue and we are working diligently to increase routine checks for this type of nefarious activity.”

Montgomery and Fulton counties have been doing routine checks for skimming devices for more than a year.

Earlier this month, strange activity stemming from a convenience store in Amsterdam was noticed. Three skimming devices were found and sent to the state laboratory for possible DNA testing.

Following an alert from the FBI that a ring of skimming activity had been popping up in the northeast, a convenience store in Fonda was found to have all six gas pumps being altered.

These devices are nearly impossible for customers to see because they are inside the gas pump. If something appears off or looks like it has been tampered with, alert an employee or call police.

People are urged to be cautious, stay alert and regularly check for any suspicious activity on personal accounts. Use cash or pay inside the store, if possible, to avoid using the outside credit card reader.

If you see any suspicious activity, please call police immediately.

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