Minooka Police Department discovers credit card skimmer at gas station

The Minooka Police Department is asking people to be careful using their credit and debit cards at gas stations in Minooka, as a skimmer was found at the Pilot gas station on Ridge Road.

The police posted in its Facebook page Wednesday that pump 21 at that station had a skimmer, and anyone who used it needs to be vigilant and keep track of their credit card and bank accounts.

Anyone who notices discrepancies should notify their credit card company or bank right away, and call the non-emergency number at 815-467-2161 to file a police report.

The FBI defines skimming as when “devices illegally installed on ATMs, point-of-sale terminals, or fuel pumps capture data or record cardholders’ PINs.”

This data is then used to create fake debit or credit cards to steal from the victims’ accounts, and the FBI estimates that skimming costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year.

The FBI said fuel pump skimmers are usually attached to the internal wiring of the machine and aren’t visible to the customer. It’s best to choose a pump closer to the store in direct view of the attendant and run debit cards as credit cards, or pay inside with the attendant instead.