Credit Card Skimmers Found On Walnut Creek Gas Station Pumps
WALNUT CREEK (KCBS) - The Walnut Creek Police Department has recommended drivers who filled up at two gas stations earlier this week keep close tabs on their financial accounts, after skimming devices were found attached to credit card readers at the pumps.
One device was found at the Chevron on Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Main St. on Tuesday, and a second was discovered at a Valero on Ygnacio Valley Rd. and North Broadway, on Wednesday.
Walnut Creek Gas Station Customers Warned to Monitor Credit Card Accounts
"In this case both of the skimmers were attached internally," said Lt. Steve Gorski. "Nobody would have noticed these devices just looking at the outside of these pumps. But when you open them up to change say a credit card receipt reel, then they're easily noticeable."
The first device was believed to have been in place for several hours before it was detected. The second was likely there for a day or day and a half. It's not clear how much sensitive information the skimmers collected.
"That information is either used or sold and the resulting crimes are things like identity theft, credit card fraud, things of that nature," Gorski explained why WCPD issued a warning to potential victims. "To ask people that may have used these gas stations to keep an eye on their credit cards that they used, their statements and whatnot and to sort of monitor their credit activity."
"All the clerks have checked the pumps and they're continuing to check them on a daily basis so if any more of these are installed they should be taken down fairly quickly," he added.
Authorities were reviewing surveillance camera footage from both stations in the hopes of identifying any suspects.
(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
