Thieves skimming credit card info at gas pumps

Customers and police agencies across the USA are dealing with another pain at the pump: thieves who install hard-to-detect electronic devices at stations to steal credit and debit card data.

The skimmed data are used to create cards used at the victims' expense, says James Van Dyke, president and founder of Javelin Strategy and Research, a financial consulting firm that focuses on fraud and identity theft.

Investigations of theft related to skimming devices at gas pumps continue in California, Delaware, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Washington, according to various police departments.

Though the most recent cases don't necessarily represent an epidemic, the Secret Service is investigating incidents across the country, says Ed Donovan, spokesman for the agency, which has financial and electronic crimes units.

Skimming devices have been used for several years, most often at ATMs. Thieves increasingly target pumps because it's a cheap, easy way to steal credit and debit card information, Van Dyke says.

"Card fraud at gas pumps is a significant problem, and that's because of the unintended nature of the checkout devices," he says. "Essentially, every gas pump is an electronic cash register."