TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Filling up at the pump may cost you more than you anticipated.
More than 1,200 credit card skimmers were removed from Florida gas stations over the past year and at least three were found in our area in the last month.
If undetected, each skimmer can collect data from hundreds of consumers while stealing millions of dollars.
To avoid being a victim, use cash to pay for gas. Or, use credit cards, which have more consumer protections than debit cards.
You should also try to choose the pumps closest to the store, where the cashier can see the pump.
"It's an inconvenience to consumers. It is something that is taking money out of consumers' pockets," said Nikki Fried, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. "I know that personally, I have had my credit cards shut down three times because of something like this down in South Florida. It's something we all need to be working together to solve."
Bills filed for the 2019 legislative session could toughen penalties for those caught skimming credit card data.
Commissioner Fried says many credit card skimming machines are part of much larger-organized-crime-rings in the state.
