Posted on Wed, Jul. 9, 2008
A Boothwyn woman approached the gas pump yesterday at a Wawa store in Concord Township with trepidation - and that was before learning it had been targeted by thieves just weeks ago.
Gail Koechert, 60, recently heard news reports about a dastardly practice called skimming, in which crooks furtively install card-readers that record credit- and debit-card information.
Koechert studied the pump setup to see if anything looked amiss before inserting her credit card - a caution that does not necessarily prevent becoming a victim.
Trooper Christopher Shoap, of the state police barracks in Media, said the devices were installed inside the pumps to avoid detection.
Some skimming devices can be seen by consumers because they appear as a cover that slips over the regular card-reader, said Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh of the Delaware State Police.
"The easiest way for people to protect themselves is to give a little tug on the card reader," he said. "It should not pop right off."
Devices were found as early as late April on some Wawa gas pumps in Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware and Chester Counties, as well as New Castle County, Del., Shoap said.
Stolen debit-card information was then used to withdraw money from bank accounts. Tens of thousands of dollars were taken from several dozen accounts, Shoap said.
Some victims probably haven't realized it yet.
"We're collecting new complaints on a regular basis," he said.
Withdrawals were made at automated-teller machines in convenience stores and in Atlantic City casinos. Authorities are looking for two men photographed by surveillance cameras.
Magnetic card-readers, readily available on the Internet for as little as $25, were found in pumps in Concord Township, Downingtown, Bristol and Uwchlan Township, and evidence of tampering with a pump was found in New Castle, Del., police said. Thieves can download the data and use it for purchases or cash withdrawals, or sell the information to other criminals.
Wawa "swiftly addressed" the incidents, according to a company statement. "The problem is not widespread, but we are taking it very seriously," according to the statement.
Asked by a customer yesterday about the safety of purchasing gas with a credit card at the Concord Township Wawa, employees said that the locks on the pumps had all been changed and that the pumps constantly were monitored.
A Bryn Mawr co-op also apparently was victimized early last month.
Investigators are unsure whether employees at any of the sites played a role. "We don't have any information to suggest that," Shoap said.
New Jersey has not seen problems with skimmers at gas pumps, most likely because the state outlaws self-service, said Lt. Gerald Lewis, a state police spokesman.
Skimming reports have been increasing across the nation since 2006, and gas stations are not the only places to be cautious.
Last year, skimming devices were found on ATM machines inside three Delaware Wawas, according to Delaware State Police.
Restaurant customers also can be vulnerable if they hand their credit card to someone who swipes it through a portable card-reader before returning it.
Besides avoiding devices that look suspicious, experts suggest that gas customers pay inside, instead of at the pump, and diners watch cards being scanned at restaurants.
Consumers also should promptly check their financial statements and contact authorities if they suspect fraud.
Anyone with information about the Philadelphia area cases, including the two men in the photographs, is asked to call state police in Media at 484-840-1000.
Tim Layer, 41, of Concord Township, said he hoped that the perpetrators would be caught soon and that their punishment would deter others.
"Police should say, 'Here are the guys who stole all of this money, so we took $2 million of their real estate,' " said Layer. "That would be fair."
In the meantime, many customers are uneasy.
"It's scary. You really have to watch what's going on," said Fran Castle, 62, of Honey Brook.
For now, Koechert plans to keep using her credit card but remain vigilant, checking her bank balances daily.
"If you carry more cash, you can get robbed," she said. "It's a catch-22."
Contact staff writer Kathleen Brady Shea at 610-696-3021 or kbrady@phillynews.com.
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