NEWTON, Iowa — For the second time in three weeks the Newton Police Department is investigating a suspected skimming incident after receiving reports of fraudulent credit card transactions at Newton gas stations.
The Department of Agriculture inspected all the fuel pumps at the World To Go gas station, located at 405 1st Ave. E, but were unable to find any skimming devices. The department did find evidence of tampering at pumps around the community, according to a news release.
Officials first began investigating skimming incidents in late August after five people reported to Newton police that their credit information had been stolen after getting gas at the Git & Go located at 801 1st Ave. W.
Two suspected Bluetooth skimming devices were found on Git & Go gas pumps.
Officials said the skimmers may have been on the pumps since late July.
After both incidents, authorities say it's important for residents to stay vigilant and monitor their financial transactions.
How to spot a skimmer
Here's what to look out for to protect your information:
- Does the credit card reader move or seem like it fits into place? If not, don't use it and notify management.
- Other indicators include a credit card reader that is oversized, sticks out strangely, has cracks or damage to the reader and arrows or lines that don't align with the pump. You can also compare the card reader on your pump to adjacent pumps.
- All gas pumps are supposed to have a seal attached to the locked operating system, so if it's broken that means installation of a skimmer probably messed with it.
