Gas station skimmer fraud continues to be prevalent

A statewide sweep of gas stations by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services found 16 illegal credit card skimmers in Jacksonville, the agency said.

Other Northeast Florida discoveries included a gas station in Yulee and three in Putnam County, showing the prevalence of skimmers that steal credit and debit card information from customers at the pump, Commissioner Nikki Fried said.

“We are the top state for scams, and we can't let that continue,” Fried said. “... It's important we're sharing with consumers exactly what to look for, because each skimmer can defraud consumers up to a million dollars. We're here to let Floridians know there's a lot of fraud out there, but we're working with law enforcement to crack down on this criminal activity.”

Skimmers are small electronic devices that can be installed on credit card readers on self-service gas pumps to obtain the customer's data for download, the department said. They range from simple devices that clamp onto internal wiring that criminals later retrieve, up to more sophisticated devices that transmit stolen credit card data via Bluetooth and text messaging.

First appearing in 2015 in Florida, their illegal use has grown in recent years. The state's Bureau of Standards inspects 464,000 gas pumps at 19,000 gas stations, truck stops and marinas each year and has removed about 2,800 skimmers since 2015. The bureau also inspects pumps for safety and accuracy.

Fried joined a June 8 gas pump skimmer inspection in Orlando with consumer services inspector Joe Scobbo as they stressed the urgent need for stronger consumer protections. The department's statewide skimmer sweep found 259 skimmers since January.

She said Florida has the highest fraud rate per capita in the entire nation, with $84 million lost to it in 2018, or about $400 per person. Florida consumers filed 15 percent of the 1.4 million fraud reports to the Federal Trade Commission in 2018, while accounting for only 6.5 percent of the population, the department said.

Duval County alone had skimmers at:

• Giant Oil BP at 814 Edgewood Ave. N.

• Sunshine Food Store at 11301 N. Main St.

• BP at 6406 103rd St.

• Giant Oil BP at 1211 Mayport Road

• Lem Turner Shell at 7752 Lem Turner Road

• Emerson BP at 3247 Emerson St.

• Kangaroo at 5553 St. Augustine Road

• Soutel BP at 1539 Soutel Drive

• Jax Energy at 1539 Third St. S. in Jacksonville Beach

• San Marco Food Store at 169 Zoo Parkway

• First Coast Energy Shell at 10716 Atlantic Blvd.

• MNV Energy Lagoon at 1539 Third St. S. in Jacksonville Beach

• Uptown BP at 917 Kings St.

• Circle K at 8735 New Kings Road

• University Gas at 4389 University Blvd. S.

• San Jose BP at 8863 San Jose Blvd.

Some of the gas stations had as many as four skimmers found on pumps during the inspections, the list shows.

Consumer tips to find skimmers include avoid using pumps that are open or unlocked, have had the tamper-evident security tape cut or removed, or otherwise appear unusual. Some newer pumps may also have encrypted credit card readers, so look for an illuminated green lock symbol near the credit card reader, officials said.

Customers should use a credit card, and not a debit card. Credit cards are protected by the card issuer's zero-liability policy. Customers can avoid skimmers entirely by paying inside instead of at the pump. And choose gas pumps closest to a physical building, in the attendant's line of sight.

Fried worked with lawmakers this year on legislation to address skimmer consumer fraud and identity theft, but the bills did not pass. Fried said she will see the legislation filed again next year.

Customers concerned about skimmer fraud should contact the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at FloridaConsumerHelp.com or call 800-HELP-FLA (800-435-7352).

Dan Scanlan: (904) 359-4549