CR Cops Find More Gas Skimmers – How to Spot a Tampered Pump

Cedar Rapids cops found evidence of another credit card skimmer at a northeast side convenience store last week.

According to the Gazette, the skimmers being used are sometimes placed at gas pumps farthest from the store clerk's field of vision. Another sign to look for is any obvious tampering with the gas pump itself.

But how do you know what to look for, if you aren't sure what it looks like? In other words, what exactly does a skimmer look like?

The  Federal Trade Commission (or "FTC") website has tips to help you protect yourself. It says to look out for anything odd:

Make sure the gas pump panel is closed and doesn’t show signs of tampering

Skimmers may look like an attachment, or as simply part of the credit card reader mechanism itself.

To be safe, never use a debit card, or if you must, run it as a "credit" card to protect your bank account from invasion.

Better yet, pay for your gas inside the store to avoid using a potentially tampered pump.

[source: The Gazette, Federal Trade Commission]