Don't get skimmed when you fill up your tank, NC officials warn

Skimmers are devices attached to credit card readers that "skim" the card number and any personal identification number and transmit it to the thief who installed it.

Inspectors with the state Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services' Standards Division found 23 skimmers on gas pumps in the first three months of this year, up from five during the same period a year ago.

Only 37 skimmers were found statewide in all of 2018, officials said.

Eleven of the 23 skimmers found between January and March were in Johnston County, they said, with several in the same location in Selma.

Harin Amin works for the Standards Division to certify that gas pumps are dispensing gas and charging customers accurately. But he's also on the lookout for skimmers.

"They just come up, unlock [the pump], place the skimmer in there, lock it back, and you never know they are there," said Chad Parker, a manager with the Standards Division. "They'll put it in line with [a] wire that runs to your main display board."

Drivers like Micah Boyd know that, every time they fill up, they put their credit information at risk.

"I've had two credit cards where it was a major problem, and I had to stop using them," Boyd said.

"I always think about that because it's so prevalent right now," Candy Shannon said.

But Sable Bond admitted that she needs to do a better job of being cautious.

"I just put my credit card in and keep going," Bond said, adding that she doesn't think her card has ever been compromised.

Parker passed along the following tips to avoid skimmers: