The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office is warning people who may have used a debit or credit card at a local business where skimmer may have been used to obtain their personal information.
On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office took a report from Space Age on Highway 207 that a fake device or card skimmer was found attached to one of their card readers next to a register inside the store.
Employees say they do not know how long the fake reader had been attached or if anyone was affect.
According to the sheriff’s office, the device, which consisted of a clear screen, scanner, and a duplicate keypad, was placed on top of the card reader and affixed with double sided tape.
It looks authentic, according to the sheriff’s office. On the inside of the device are electronic components, including a battery and a device that reads the magnetic strip on a credit or debit card. The keypad could capture pin numbers as the customer types their pin number.
Photos can be found on the sheriff’s office Facebook page.
The sheriff’s office issued the following statement:
“We would like to alert people who have purchased items at the Space Age store recently to check their bank accounts for any suspicious activity and contact your bank. Please contact our office if you have any information, or have experienced a theft.”
The office can be reached at (541) 966-3600.
According to the sheriff’s office, theft devices are becoming more and more sophisticated. They look authentic, and can be placed virtually anywhere. It’s good advice to examine the device for signs of tampering or anything that looks out of place before using it. Examine the card reader device and keypad for looseness, cracks, dents or other damage, different colors on the machine, and look for tape or glue. Use a credit card with a chip, which are less likely to be skimmed, if you have one.
For further information on how to spot and avoid card skimmers, see this article from PC Magazine.
