Card Skimming Reaches Hattiesburg
By: Annie Johnson
The Hattiesburg Police Department alert residents about card skimming after several reports of tampered devices are found at various locations in the Pine Belt Area. Card skimming became a growing concern for Hattiesburg city officials in January of 2017. According to recent Hattiesburg police reports, most of the skimming occurred from credit cards used at gas station pumps in the area.
Card skimming is the act of using a device to illegally collect data from the magnetic stripe of a credit, debit, or ATM card. The information taken from the card is either copied onto another blank card’s magnetic stripe or manually entered on the internet or via telephone. Both methods use the original card’s information to make unauthorized purchases or withdraw cash in the name of the real account holder’s identity.
Hattiesburg Police Lieutenant, John Traxler, explained that usually these skimmers are placed on the inside of[MS1] gas pumps, ATMs, and places where cards are swiped in stores unmonitored like self-checkout stations.
Police advise locals that card skimming is not targeted[MS2] towards a certain audience and anyone can become a victim at any time.
Courtesy of Google Images
Even Brad Weathers, a Lamar County Sheriff Officer, found himself on the receiving end of the crime. “We’ve had a definite increase in card skimming, I have been a victim in recent months and believe it was from using my card at the gas pumps”, said Weathers.
The problem extends outside of Hattiesburg. Other card skimming incidents have occurred in the neighboring areas of Forrest County and Perry County.
Reports from the Hattiesburg Police Department show the last card skimming incident happened at Maples Gas Station on Highway 49. Workers called the police after an unknown device was found at the station. The department removed the device and checked other pumps for any other evidence of tampering.
Four skimming devices found at the Exxon gas station along U.S. Highway 98 are be removed by police and they will take them into custody.
Hub city TV reporter Whitley Ruffin investigates the local gas station that was the target of this crime.
Local resident Natalie Pugh recalls how she was personally effected by card skimming “I got skimmed about a year ago, it was actually in Petal at one of the local gas stations here, and I didn’t realize until I went to use my card and it said I was in the negative. And I knew I had money in the bank.” Card skimming can happen quickly so take precautions to prevent this happening to you.
Drea Jordan, who works at a local gas station, assures residents that their gas station is taking steps to prevent card skimming from happening by sealing the pumps. “We know all about card skimming, we have seals on all of our pumps, their red. They let our customers know whether it’s safe to use the pump or not.”
A local bank, the name of which police have not released, also found a skimming device at one of their ATM and contacted police immediately.
There is a growing concern among Police and residents about card skimming in Hattiesburg because thieves can target any business that accepts credit or debit cards. According to Lt. Traxler worries that people will[MS3] be a lot more hesitant to use their cards in stores, restaurants, or online which could potentially hinder people from spending money if they do not have cash on them.
Residents are advised to take that extra stop and pay at the cash register inside of the gas station rather than outside at the pump. This small additional step could save someone tremendous time, effort, and money.
According to the Consume Reports, card skimming has been around for years, but has greatly increased recently due to factors such as Courtesy of Google Images
the advancement of technology and the increase in card use.
Gizmodo offers a timeline of skimming that goes back to 2002. People are carrying and using their cards more than they are using cash because of its convenience.
Technology has allowed skimmers to create devices practically identical to the original card scanners or small enough to place inside of machines. Click here for a diagram of ATM skimming. The skimmers are becoming more advanced and getting access to more information. This adds complexity to the crime.
The Nilson Report estimated that the 5 years between 2015-2020 card fraud will total to $183.29 billion globally. The United States makes up 47% of card fraud and serves as the leading country with growing card fraud.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) joined forces to investigate the on-going fraud in the Pine Belt Area.
Thursday, February 9th police officers in Iberville Parish, Louisiana made the largest gas pump skimmer arrest in Louisiana history.
Card skimming is a felony in Mississippi.
Police advise card users to take caution when swiping their cards anywhere and to be aware of anything that looks suspicious. They warns residents against using gas pumps furthest from the cashier and out of range from surveillance cameras.
HPD spokesman Lt. Jon Traxler
say residents should use cash instead of their cards in places that they are not confident about the card security.
Courtesy of Google Images
Click here for other steps you can take
to avoid card skimmers and other card fraud. Police advise victims to contact their financial institution immediately after detecting fraud then contacting local law officials.
