Identity thieves are finding new ways to steal credit card information even at the gas pump.
More than 3 billion dollars a year is lost to the schemers and with as many as 60,000 pumps across the Commonwealth to inspect, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles says consumer awareness is critical in prevention.
“At no additional cost to the taxpayer we are able to check all of Kentucky's gas pumps for electronic hardware that criminals have placed, so we are working with local law enforcement to try and cut down on an unfortunate reality and that is credit cards being stolen at gas pumps,” says Quarles.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is the largest regulatory body in the state and can only check the pumps once a year, unless a complaint has been filed. The department will then respond within 24 hours.
KDA inspectors test pumps to ensure that the amount of fuel dispensed matches the amount shown on the pump, and check to make sure pumps are in proper working order.
Inspectors look for signs that a pump has been compromised by thieves who install electronic devices called “skimmers” that capture data from consumers’ credit cards. The data is used to produce fake credit cards and make fraudulent charges on the victim’s account.
Quarles says consumers should check for any lock tampering on the pumps before they swipe their information. If the KDA finds a card reader has been tampered with, all they can do is replace it. Any information acquired before is difficult to track and almost impossible to prosecute.
