DUBLIN, OH (WCMH) — Police in Dublin say a skimming device was found on a pump at a Dublin gas station.
According to Dublin police, a skimming device was found around 10:15am at the Marathon station at 215 West Bridge Street.
The Franklin County Auditor’s office said the owner diligently checks his gas pumps for skimmers. He last checked the pumps on Saturday. The Auditor’s office believes the skimmer could have been on the pump for as many as four days.
Only one pump was affected.
The Franklin County Auditor’s office is calling this the first discovery of a skimmer on a Franklin County gas pump outside of the City of Columbus.
Dublin Police advise anyone who has used a card at the Marathon station in the past week to check their statements for any suspicious activity. If you notice any charges for purchases you did not make, you should contact your credit card company. Additionally, if you think you are a victim of stolen credit card information, please contact the Dublin Police Department at 614.889.1112.
Here are some tips from the Federal Trade Commission to help you avoid a skimmer when you gas up:
- Make sure the gas pump panel is closed and doesn’t show signs of tampering.
- Take a good look at the card reader itself. Does it look different than other readers at the station?
- You can try to wiggle the card reader before you put in your card. If it moves, report it to the attendant. Then use a different pump.
- If you use a debit card at the pump, run it as a credit card instead of entering a PIN. That way, the PIN is safe and the money isn’t deducted immediately from your account. If that’s not an option, cover your hand when entering your PIN. Scammers sometimes use tiny pinhole cameras, situated above the keypad area, to record PIN entries.
- Monitor your credit card and bank accounts regularly to spot unauthorized charges.
- If you’re really concerned about skimmers, you can pay inside rather than at the pump. Another option is to use a gas pump near the front of the store. Thieves may target gas pumps that are harder for the attendant to see.