September 12, 2020
| 9:00 a.m.
Throughout current months, bank card theft gadgets (generally often called skimmers) have been detected in Santa Barbara County. Although it’s unknown how widespread the issue is, inspectors from the Santa Barbara County Agriculture/Weights & Measures Division will likely be growing their enforcement surveillance at gas stations.
That is aimed on the credit score card-skimming gadgets discovered inside gasoline pumps at service stations all through the county. These skimmers may be discovered spliced into the bank card reader, permitting the cardboard info to be recorded throughout routine refueling and later retrieved or despatched to an offsite receiver.
Normally there aren’t any externally seen indicators on the gas pumps exhibiting the presence of those hidden gadgets.
Inspectors should work carefully with station operators to look at the pumps and visually discover these skimmers. As soon as discovered, these gadgets are eliminated and inspectors comply with up with native, state and federal legislation enforcement companions.
Within the final two months, 9 skimmer gadgets had been discovered at 4 separate gasoline stations. This led to the Agricultural Commissioner/Weight & Measures Division conducting a countywide sweep of greater than 40 chosen gasoline stations to seek for these insidious skimmers.
The excellent news is that no skimmers had been discovered and that county employees will frequently be looking out for the gadgets whereas performing gas station inspections.
Matthew Maiten, deputy sealer, gives the next precautions to customers to keep away from bank card info theft:
“Pay cash for gas purchases.
“Use debit playing cards, which may supply larger safety because of the extra PIN wanted for transactions.
“Use gasoline pumps closest to the service station attendants.
“Look ahead to safety stickers that seem damaged or tampered with.
“Additionally, customers ought to at all times evaluation their bank card and banking statements for suspicious expenses.”
For extra info contact the Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner/Weights&Measures Workplace in Santa Barbara, 805-681-5600 or in Santa Maria, 805-934-6200, or go to www.agcommissioner.com.
