With holiday travel expected to reach its highest levels this year, the state Department of Consumer Protection is warning drivers to watch for a type of fraud at the gas pump called “skimming.”
Travelers buying gas should look for a security seal over the pump’s lock, which is usually the color red.
Consumer Protection Inspector Daryl Owens said that if the seal is broken or appears to have been tampered with, the pump could have a device inside that can steal card information.
Unlike ATM skimmers, gas pump skimmers can't be seen from the outside of the machine.
"It's generally a bluetooth technology," Owens said. "They're not going to go back into the equipment. They're going to steal your card information -- they're going to pull into the station, they're going to download the information, and they're going to leave."
Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris advised travelers to try to use cash or a credit card rather than debit.
"The best thing to do is to pay inside," he said.
The state said the numbers of reported skimming incidents doubled this year.
