Stop for gas on I-5? Credit-card skimmers were found and there may be more victims

Did you recently use your credit card at a Valero gas station off Interstate 5 in central California? If so, you may want to check your bank statement.

Two credit-card skimming devices, which steal bank information from unsuspecting customers, were found inside pumps at the station in Kettleman City, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday.

An investigation began when Fresno Educational Employee Credit Union had three customers report fraudulent purchases, the sheriff’s office stated. A common theme: All three had visited the gas station last week.

That sent sheriff’s deputies to the station, where they found the devices in two different pumps.

Fraudulent purchases were made in Southern California, but the people responsible for installing the skimmers are currently unknown.

With the information gleaned through the skimmers, thieves can use it themselves to make charges or sell it to others who then clone the cards.

Anyone who recently visited the station and finds fraudulent charges on their statement should contact the sheriff’s office at 559-852-2720.

“Credit-card skimming devices have become a nationwide epidemic,” a sheriff’s news release stated, “affecting thousands of people, and resulting in millions of dollars lost. These devices are most often found inside gas pumps at gas stations throughout the U.S.”

This story was originally published August 2, 2017 at 9:11 PM with the headline "Stop for gas on I-5? Credit-card skimmers were found and there may be more victims."