A customer at Circle K in Smyrna found a credit card skimmer that looked nearly identical to the card reader on the ATM it was attached to.
According to Trae Epsy, when he tried to use the ATM inside the gas station on Almaville Road, he noticed it was a little bit different than usual. Epsy noticed the color was a little off and it seemed larger than normal. When he touched the reader, it seemed loose. That's when he informed managers.
"I had called her over because I didn't really want to touch it," said Epsy. "So, once I [saw] there was a little gap, I had her come and take it off and sure enough there was a little chip in there."
Epsy said he was close to putting his card in when he realized something was off, but always tries to check ATM or gas pump card readers anyway.
"It's kind of crazy they can do all of this technology but they can't put it towards a good use," said Epsy. "So, that's just people nowadays I guess."
The manager of the Circle K called the ATM company who sent out a technician to check out the device. They were then instructed to contact Smyrna police.
According to the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, gas stations are some of the most popular targets for credit card scammers. They have the following advice:
- If there is a skimmer in place a wiggle of the card read should dislodge the skimmer.
- If a skimmer is found or you suspect that a skimmer is in place, notify the cashier, or operating company if it’s an ATM, and report it to the local police.
- Regularly check bank statements and online accounts for fraudulent charges and report those to your bank or credit card company.
- Make sure the gas pump panel is closed and doesn’t show signs of tampering. Many stations now put security seals over the cabinet panel. This is part of a voluntary program by the industry to thwart gas pump tampering. If the pump panel is opened, the label will read "void," which means the
- machine has been tampered with.
