I have seen a couple news stories recently about theft at the gas pump, crimes other than the price of the gas (hehe).
Skimming
The first type of theft is called “skimming”. I found out about it from a local news story. You can read the story and watch the video from the Twin Cities here. A couple from California drove through many states and inserted an electronic device into the inside of gas pumps that “skimmed” peoples credit card numbers. They came back later to collect those numbers. They racked up thousands of dollars in debt on the collected card numbers.
You might be wondering how the thieves got inside the pumps. The article points out that there are only two companies that make gas pumps and both use a universal key to open them. Gas stations can have the pumps rekeyed at a cost of around $450 for 8 pumps.
If the Mr. and Mrs. Dirtbag who were arrested can figure this crime out, you can be guaranteed others have as well. The only way to know for sure if a pump has a skimmer in it is to open the pump and check. The only thing we can do as consumers is check for the inspected sticker on the pump you’re going to use. If it’s broken or there isn’t one, move to another pump. Since these dirtbags need to open the pump, chances are they will only install the skimmers on pumps that are furthest from the watchful clerks. Using a pump that is closer to the building and faces the clerks also might limit vulnerability.
Sliders
This second type of theft is targeting women at the pump. You can read the article and see the video reported from Virginia here. These thieves look for a woman who is pumping gas or has gone inside to pay and has left the window down or door unlocked. They “slide” below level of the window or sight-line and grab her purse.
To prevent this, the most important thing is to practice good Situational Awareness and utilize Levels of Alert; The Cooper Color Code. Put your window all the way up at the station and make sure your doors are locked, even when you’re standing right there.
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