How sophisticated card skimmers were found within Modesto gas station’s pumps
Alerted by customers about bogus charges showing up on their credit card statements, the Circle 7 gas station in Modesto discovered six sophisticated card skimmers had been placed within its eight pumps, its manager said Tuesday morning.
A technician found the skimmers, which used Bluetooth wireless technology to transmit card data to recipients who could have been positioned more a mile away, said Preet Kaur, manager of the station at North Santa Cruz and La Loma avenues. Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear confirmed that the devices had been put in place of factory connections.
Kaur said that every morning, she checks for skimmers by opening the top of each pump where the legitimate card reader sits. She’s found them there before. But this time, the high-tech devices were deeper in the body of the pumps.
He told her the thieves likely used a large pickup or SUV that blocked the surveillance cameras. They would have worked quickly, giving station staff no reason to think they were doing anything other than simply pumping gas, Kaur said.
The entire front of the pumps had to be opened to place the skimmers, but no special tool is needed, the manager said. Circle 7 has taped off the card readers and posted signs directing customers to pay inside until locks are put on the pumps.
Kaur said she believes her station was targeted by thieves because it often has the lowest gas prices around, so it draws a lot of customers. The fraud is hurting Circle 7’s reputation because people are posting on social media and sites like Yelp, saying the station itself is committing the thefts, she said.
It was social media that helped customer Jacob Canada figure out where his data was stolen. A friend posted Saturday about having credit card data compromised, and Canada shared that he’d experienced the same thing. Then another friend posted the same.
“I work for the city of Modesto at the airport, which is near the gas station,” Canada told The Bee in a text. “My friend that made the post works for Save Mart, which has some offices near the airport. All three of us used our cards to get gas at that location. This was the common denominator that led us to believe that’s where the fraud stemmed from.”
All the charges on his card were at a gas station in Long Beach, Canada said. There were about four transactions totaling roughly $400.
“His bank thankfully caught it and put a hold on his account,” said Canada’s wife, Cait Kemp. “Who knows how many people got scammed, aside from him and a few other people we know?”
Kaur said the thefts apparently began about a week ago. The police report was filed Monday, when the skimmers were discovered.
Anyone who discovers fraudulent charges should file a police report, Bear said. That can be done online at www.modestogov.com/1169/File-a-Non-Emergency-Police-Report or by calling the Police Department’s telephone reporting unit at 209-572-9573.
This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 9:51 AM.
