Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, are warning holiday shoppers to monitor a potential credit card scam as they pay at the register.
Detectives from the department鈥檚 financial crimes unit, along with members of the U.S. Secret Service, found 20 credit card skimming devices during a countywide detection operation.
According to the devices were found at convenience stores, discount stores and grocery stores throughout Fairfax County and the Town of Herndon.
Public Information Officer Ingrid Palencia told 海角精品黑料 the investigation, known as Operation Skim Scam, was done right before the holidays as people are using their credit cards more and shopping often. No arrests have been made in Operation Skim Scam.
鈥淲e want to prevent our community members (from being) victimized by these skimmers,鈥� she said.
The devices can steal a person鈥檚 personal information, including their card鈥檚 PIN entry. Criminals then use the data to make unauthorized purchases or open a new credit card on a person鈥檚 behalf.
According to the FBI, skimming costs banks and consumers
Detectives are reviewing 鈥渞ecording devices鈥� at the locations where the devices were found to identify the installers, Palencia said. In total, 287 point-of-sale (POS) terminals, 158 ATMs and 46 gas pumps were searched for skimming devices during the operation.
Credit card skimming devices are small and designed to be placed with real card readers. Palencia said people should be mindful of several things next time they make a credit card purchase.
鈥淭his is an easy way to capture a lot of information in a little bit of time,鈥� Palencia said. 鈥淚f there’s a lot of people coming to the same store and using the credit cards; within an hour, they can have 10 people’s credit card information.鈥�
Palencia recommended checking for any loose or bulky machines and if they have mismatching colors compared to the rest of the machine. That鈥檚 a sign, Palencia said, that a skimmer device was placed on top of the machine.
鈥淚f the PIN pad doesn’t match the machine of the color, if the PIN pad is loose, if it’s bulky 鈥� you want to make sure you’re pulling on it to make sure it’s not a cover on top of the actual machine,鈥� she said.
Check for a hidden camera on the machine trying to capture your PIN number and don鈥檛 accept help from anyone you don鈥檛 know while using an ATM or payment machine.
When you are out shopping, officials say to cover your PIN by using your hand to shield the keypad as you enter your number. Use familiar and well-lit locations whenever possible and use ATMs inside banks or high-traffic areas. Lastly, monitor your bank and credit card accounts for any unauthorized transactions.
Palencia recommends using contactless payment options, such as tap-to-pay cards or mobile wallets on smartphones.
鈥淵our actual card is not being compromised,鈥� Palencia said. 鈥淵our actual physical card data is not being transferred onto these devices. That would be better than using your actual card.鈥�
If you locate a suspicious device, don鈥檛 remove it. Instead, call Fairfax County Police鈥檚 non-emergency number at (703) 691-2131 so officers can come to the scene to remove it properly while preserving as much data as possible.
Anyone with information regarding skimming devices found around the county are encouraged to call the department鈥檚 financial crimes unit at 703-246-3533 or leave an anonymous tip on the
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