GAUGHAN. NEWS WITH SKY 4 NEWS. 4 JAX CONTINUES. ♪
>> MORE FOR EVERYTHING
INCLUDING FUEL. AND THE LAST
THING WE NEED IS FOR A THIEF
TO RIP US OFF. WHEN WE PUT IN
OUR CREDIT CARDS AT THE PUMP,
WE DID SOME DIGGING AND FOUND
THAT OVER THE YEARS, CRIMINALS
HAVE PLACED THOUSANDS OF
SKIMMING DEVICES AT GAS
STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTINUES
TO FIGHT THIS PROBLEM.
>> NEWS 4 JAX REPORTER SCOTT
JOHNSON FOUND OUT HOW YOU CAN
SPOT A SKIMMER IN SECONDS SO
YOU DON’T GET RIPPED OFF THE
NEXT TIME YOU FILL UP YOUR
TANK. SCOTT. WELL, TARA, JOY,
CONSIDER HOW THIS HAPPENED.
CRIMINALS PULL UP TO THE GAS
PUMPS.
>> USUALLY THE ONE THAT’S FOR
THIS THE WAY FROM THE FRONT
DOOR. AND THEN WHAT THEY DO IS
THEY PUT THIS LITTLE THING ON
THE DEVICE THAT LOOKS REAL.
IT’S DESIGNED TO RIP OFF YOUR
CREDIT CARD NUMBER. AND UNLESS
YOU’RE PAYING ATTENTION, YOU
MAY HAND OVER YOUR CREDIT OR
DEBIT CARD INFORMATION TO A
THIEF.
>> EVERYONE HAS BEEN LAMENTING
THE COST OF GAS FOR MONTHS,
BUT DON’T LET THAT DISTRACT.
YOU. FROM THE OTHER THING THAT
CAN COST YOU A LOT MORE MONEY
WHEN YOU FILL UP THE TANK.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF WATER
CALLED SKIMMERS? NATASHA FOR
DID NOT USE CASH, WHICH THEY
PUT WHEN YOU PUT YOUR CARD IN.
AND WHEN SHE FILLED UP ON THE
SOUTH SIDE.
>> I THINK ABOUT IT, WHICH IS
WHY I JUST PAY WITH CASH. SO
THAT’S ANOTHER THING THAT TRY
TO DO. SO JUST AVOID ANY
ISSUES LIKE IN TERMS OF MY,
YOU KNOW,
>> INFORMATION BEING THE ONLY
TIME, YOU KNOW, STOLEN. SHE
DOES THIS EVERY TIME SHE FILLS
UP BECAUSE SHE’S BEEN A VICTIM
OF FRAUD BEFORE AND SHE KNOWS
ABOUT THIS ISSUE OF SKIMMERS.
THEY ALSO SUPPOSED TO BE
TAMPER PROOF STICKERS ON THAT
THAT I DON’T SEE THAT RIGHT
THERE. IT’S MISSING ON THIS
ONE. IT’S ON THAT ONE, BUT
IT’S NOT ON THIS ONE. I MET UP
WITH CHRIS HAMER, A
CYBERSECURITY EXPERT AT THIS
GAS PUMP. SO I WOULD USE THE
PUMP, WHICH WE PICKED AT
RANDOM TO LEARN WHAT TO WATCH
OUT FOR. USUALLY WALK UP YOU.
CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU
CAN SEE THE GREEN LIGHT THAT
THERE’S NOT SOMETHING HANGING
OFF THE FRONT. IF THERE IS
GIVE A GOOD TUG ON IT BECAUSE
IF IT COMES OFF, IT DOESN’T
BELONG THERE. THAT’S WHAT THE
CRIMINAL. BUT ON THE FRONT
THAT SOME OF THEM WILL PUT A
WHOLE REPLACEMENT FRONT END
AND THE SKIMMERS ARE DESIGNED
TO LOOK VERY REALISTIC LIKE
THEY’RE PART OF THE PUMP. SO
WHAT’S PHYSICALLY HAPPENING?
WHEN I PUT MY CARD INTO A
SCAMMER, IT READS THE DAY OFF
THE STRAIT. AND IT POSSIBLY IN
CODE YOUR.
>> PIN CODE BECAUSE THERE MAY
BE A CAMERA EITHER UP HERE ARE
IN HERE OR IN SOME CASES
ACTUALLY RECORDS KEYSTROKES.
>> AND STORES, ALL OF THAT
INFORMATION IN A FILE. SO
HERE’S WHAT HAPPENS. THE
SKIMMER COLLECT A BUNCH OF
CREDIT CARD NUMBERS.
>> WHOEVER’S RUNNING THE
SCAMMER HAS TO GET WITHIN
ABOUT 30 TO 50 FEET TO
DOWNLOAD ALL THE CREDIT CARD
DATA OFF SOME SORT OF LIKE
BLUETOOTH SIGNAL.
>> AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, LAW
ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN FIGHTING
THIS CONSTANTLY. THIS IS A
LIST OF MORE THAN 1000 CASES
ACROSS FLORIDA SINCE 2020 OF
SKIMMERS BEING FOUND SEVERAL
IN OUR AREA BY THE NUMBERS.
DUVAL COUNTY HAD 13 FOUND IN
2020 14 2021 1 SO FAR IN 22 IN
2021. NASSAU COUNTY HAD 4
FOUND AND SAINT JOHN’S HAD 7
FOUND IN 2020. THIS IS
SOMETHING GAS STATION OWNERS
DON’T WANT AND WORK WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT TO STOP. FOR
INSTANCE, THE WORLD GOLF
VILLAGE, BP WAS HIT IN 2020
WHEN SKIMMERS WERE FOUND ON 7
PUMPS MANAGEMENT, THERE TELLS
ME THEY’VE CHANGED OUT THOSE
PUMPS. THE FORMER SHELL GAS
STATION IN NEPTUNE BEACH WAS
HIT MULTIPLE TIMES IN 2021.
THEY’RE NOW UNDER NEW
OWNERSHIP AND THE STAR FOOD
MART IN CALLAHAN WAS
VICTIMIZED TO LAST YEAR. THE
STATE REPORT READS THEY
RECEIVED A CONSUMER COMPLAINT,
A POSSIBLE FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY
ON CREDIT CARD FROM THIS
FACILITY. WE FOUND 6 CREDIT
CARD SKIMMERS WITH PUMP NUMBER
2 HAVING TO SCAMMERS. SO WHAT
TO DO HERE ARE 5 THINGS TO
REMEMBER TO PROTECT YOUR
CREDIT CARD AT THE PUMP.
FIRST, ALWAYS USE A PUMP
CLOSEST TO THE GAS STATION
BUILDING. WERE ATTENDANTS HAVE
AN EASIER TIME SEEING THE
PUMPS WHEN YOU SCAN YOUR CARD
SELECT TO RUN, IT IS A CREDIT
INSTEAD OF DEBIT. IT’S EASIER
TO DISPUTE FROM THAT WAY.
ALWAYS TRY JIGGLING THE CARD
READER A FALSE FRONT CAN MOVE.
MAKE SURE THE STATE STICKER IS
NOT BEEN TAMPERED WITH AND
REGULARLY. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR
CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS.
THAT’S A LOT OF THESE CASES
HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY
CUSTOMERS NOTICING SOMETHING
WRONG WITH HER CREDIT CARD AND
REPORTING IT. AND PEOPLE LIKE
4 BYPASS IT ALL.
>> I HAVE BEEN THE VICTIM OF
FRAUD IN TERMS OF MY FAVORITE
PART. SO I AM VERY CONSCIOUS
OF. WE ASKED THEM IN THE IN
THE.
>> I DID. THAT CAN HAPPEN.
DECIDING IS JUST SAFER TO BUY
FUEL. I TRIED TO USE CASH,
WHICH IS SECOND AT THE WITH
SOME GREENBACKS INSTEAD OF
PLASTIC.
>> INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY ARE
ALSO SEEING ANOTHER TECHNIQUE.
THIEVES ARE USING WITH KEYPAD.
OVERLAY. IT’S PLACED RIGHT ON
TOP OF THE KEYPAD AT THE PUMP
AND RECORD YOUR PIN NUMBER. IF
YOU ARE PUTTING IN ONE. SO
THAT ANOTHER REASON TO AVOID
USING DEBIT CARDS SINCE IT
DOES REQUIRE TO MANUALLY PUNCH
IN YOUR PIN NUMBER. IF YOU
SPOT ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS, YOU
NEED TO TELL THE MANAGER AT
THE GAS STATION. YOU ALSO NEED
TO REPORT TO THE STATE OF
FLORIDA. YOU CAN CALL 1, 800
HELP FLA. THAT’S 1, 804, 3, 5,
7, 3, 5, 2, IF IT’S A SKIMMER
SPOTTED IN GEORGIA, CALL 1,
808, 6, 9, 1, 1, TO 3, OF
COURSE, STAR JOY. REALLY THE
BEST WAY TO PROTECT YOURSELF
IF YOU CAN, IS BYPASSED THE
CARD READER ALL AND JUST GO