JEFFERASON COUNTY -- Credit card skimmers are being found at more and more gas stations in Colorado. Thieves are breaking into the credit card machines and installing a device that captures your card's information.
Mike Taplin, an investigator with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, says people who are doing this aren't damaging the machine, but they're somehow getting access to it.
"When someone puts in their credit card, all their information is copied and stored on that device and then used later to create clone credit cards,” explained Taplin.
Taplin says there are way to protect yourself against the devices when paying at the pump. You can always pay inside or just wiggle the credit card machine to see if it's loose. Taplin says you can also watch for the stickers.
“When you pull up to the pump, you want to take a look at the credit card machine. If the red sticker is broken, don't pay at the pump and notify the attendant before filling up your car,” said Taplin.
The stickers will somteimes read “tamper proof” and are replaced every time a gas attendant accesses the panel on the pump. If the sticker is cut, it means unauthorized access was made. There's no law that says they have to do that. It's done on a voluntarily basis
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