Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried Issues Warning After 110 Card Skimmers Found At South Florida Gas Stations
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is urging Floridians to be aware at the gas pump.
She spoke Monday at a conference in Hialeah to warn against card skimmers at gas stations.
Fried said Florida has the highest rate of fraud per capita, citing 251 skimmers found in the state. Of those 251, 110 were found in South Florida.
She said that's why she supports new legislation that would target this type of fraud.
"It takes pumps with skimmers out of service until they have been re-inspected, no issues with the pump," she said. "It also requires gas stations to report skimmers within three days of being notified."
State Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, who represents part of Miami-Dade County, helped draft the bill.
Fried is urging people to check gas pumps closely before using them. She also said people should use their credit card if possible since they typically have built-in fraud protection.