Port Hueneme Police Department –Incident Press Release
On January 16th, 2020 at approximately 11:19 AM, Port Hueneme Police Patrol Officers responded to USA Gas, 2651 N. Ventura Road, regarding a found skimming device. When officers arrived, they contacted the business manager and service station contractor who located the device attached to the VeriFone keypad.
Due to recent reports of credit card skimmer fraud occurring within Ventura County, the Port Hueneme Police Department is reminding members of the public to take precautions, especially when paying at the gas pump. Most skimming devices found operate on Bluetooth devices or utilize Wi-Fi to access your personal account information, so patrons are reminded to report any suspicious persons and/or activity.
Anyone with additional information or witnessed this incident is encouraged to contact the Port Hueneme Police Departments Investigations Division at 805-986-6530.
Tips for detecting a skimming device:
- Make sure the panel on the pump has not been tampered with.
- If there’s a seal on the panel, make sure it’s intact. The seal will say “void” if it has been altered. Check the exterior keypad panel for any glue or epoxy type material.
- If a panel appears altered, immediately report information to the station manager and police.
- Choose the credit option rather than debit to avoid entering a PIN number. If credit isn’t an option, conceal PIN numbers as they’re being entered. Scammers will often use cameras to record the numbers.
- Regularly monitor credit card and bank accounts to detect any suspicious activity and/or transactions.
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