The Wood County Auditor’s office participated in Ohio’s recent statewide sweep and no illegal “skimmer” devices were found in the county. The sweep represents a continuation of the ongoing inspections that the auditor’s office conducts in a protection effort to prevent credit card fraud as a result of information theft at the pump. A total of 64 counties participated in the coordinated search at nearly 1400 stations checking over 12,000 pumps.
To this time 35 skimmer devices in 16 counties across the state have been found since last October. The auditor’s office has issued an advisory to the gas stations in this county and continues to encourage operators and managers to protect customers by performing daily checks at the pump to ensure the safety of their customer’s credit information and combat crime. This year nine “Skimmer Summits” throughout the state have also been hosted by county auditors to raise awareness of this danger.
Consumers should know that paying for gas with cash is always the safest option at the pump. Using a credit card is safer than using a debit card, because customers who use their debit cards risk their PIN numbers being stolen. Motorists should use pumps near the attendant, as criminals often target pumps further from view. Anything that seems out of place or indicates that a pump has been tampered with should be reported.
