Police advise skimming devices are active in area

By Jenna Wilson

Police are warning citizens to be on the lookout for credit card skimmers appearing in the community.

St. Joseph residents have taken to social media to warn people about the increasing threat of card skimmers in the area after noticing unauthorized charges to their bank cards.

Credit card skimmers are illegal devices placed on top of real card readers that blend in, making them tough to spot. These devices pose a danger to people’s wallets as they can allow thieves to steal credit and bank card information while remaining unnoticed.

“There’s internal and external skimmers,” said Jeremy Peters with the St. Joseph Police Department. “The ones that you’re going to have a hard time trying to figure out are going to be the ones that are internal, like on the gas pumps.”

According to police, these can be hard to detect and people should be cautious when approaching an ATM or any business with a credit card reader.

“On the gas station pumps, we’re encouraging people to please check those regularly,” Peters said. “There should be a security seal across the skimmer on the pump and if it’s broken, tampered with or not even there, go to a different pump that is secured.”

Police have issued several guidelines to help people avoid being victims of the skimmers, stating that victims should preferably withdraw money indoors or in a well-lit place at a busy ATM.

“It’s just something to always be aware of,” Peters added. “Sometimes a group moves in the area committing this type of crime and we’ll see a lot of them suddenly and be able to track it that way.”

Residents also should scan their surroundings before withdrawing money as well as check the ATM for damage or foreign devices.