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Gas Pump ID Theft Spreads With Slim Version Of Card Skimmers

By David Badertscher, PLL

<p>Source: Crime & Justice News</p> <p>"<font size="1">Just when dropping gas prices were beginning to give </font></p> <p>drivers some relief, Texans face a new threat at the </p> <p>pump: identity thieves. High-tech crooks have begun </p> <p>stealing account numbers and PINs from drivers who </p> <p>pay at automated gas pumps, says the Dallas </p> <p>Morning News. It's part of a national crime trend that </p> <p>probably originated on the West Coast this year. In </p> <p>Plano alone, police have recorded about 50 cases of </p> <p>ID theft and fraudulent use of debit card information </p> <p>probably connected to purchases at gas pumps.</p> <p>The skimmers can steal credit card numbers, too, but </p> <p>thieves prefer debit cards because they mean quick </p> <p>cash at automated teller machines. They use the </p> <p>information to make fake cards and have hit ATMs - </p> <p>some as far away as the northeast - for $200 to $800 </p> <p>a pop. Thieves have long used devices </p> <p>called "skimmers" to copy information from the </p> <p>magnetic strips of debit and credit cards, but new </p> <p>matchbox-size versions of the gadgets fit onto gas </p> <p>pump card readers without being noticeable and copy </p> <p>the numbers without compromising the transaction."</p> <p>Dallas Morning News - <u><font color="#ff0000" size="1">http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001tKZeR4hxKh3P_CnszlMv_dzNWle9Agph1yAkqsd9YOMICLGOogHdE9EE8wHmEJQHOv6dzPDapU9ulufqXxPq_yWOlPDAS1zkhcN3NIgWLX9EZdKHSnF1-F5YBR1rtBk_ZdjvIWl7p27GPLxMdOaP3bCzI8iHJJF23nWwKpZHZYhKlM-SD4ADENERt8XXdYVRe2danMs-PAUI_P9ukQPHisXOgRG2z5aI</font></u><font size="1"> </font></p>

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on October 16, 2008 (boomark / email).