Secret Service cracks down on credit card skimming at gas pumps nationwide

Secret Service cracks down on credit card skimming at gas pumps nationwide The agency recovers about 20 to 30 skimmers a week, with the average skimmer having information from about 80 cards on it, according to one agent. The U.S. Secret Service said it is kicking off the holiday season with a nationwide initiative to crack down on credit card skimming devices installed at gas stations. The operation, called “Operation Deep Impact,” was launched on Thanksgiving Day and is set to coincide with an increased demand for fuel over the holidays.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, credit card skimming occurs when illegal card readers are installed to a gas pump’s payment area. Once a consumer inserts their card into the fake reader, criminals are then given access to the person’s data to use or sell online. And this type of crime is only getting worse, the Secret Service said.

The special agent said he estimates that the agency recovers about 20 to 30 skimmers a week, with the average skimmer having information from about 80 cards on it by the time its recovered by authorities.

Source: nbcnews.com