SPECIAL REPORT: Protecting from credit card skimmers

“I went to look at the account and it was empty,” Gilroy resident Micki Scagliotti, said.

Scagliotti is one of countless people who fall victim to credit card skimmers. For her, six-hundred dollars, gone, one swipe at a time.

“They went to an ATM up in the Bay Area and ran my card three-to-four times,” Scagliotti said. “I have not heard from anyone about it. But my bank did replace the missing funds.”

She says this happened at a Gilroy grocery store, but in November 2017 Gilroy Police found two gas stations with a total of two skimmers – devices that steal and store card information from its magnetic strip.

The Gilroy Police Department says this looks like a sophisticated state-wide criminal operation. They tell KION there are around 150 victims, who lost a total of approximately $100,000. As of now, there have been no arrests, and the investigation is on-going.

“Essentially they are stealing credit card information,” Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner, Juan Hidalgo, said. “Or (they) sell that information to someone on the internet.”

Hidalgo leads the team in Santa Cruz County, inspecting roughly 70 gas stations annually. Some, twice a year.

“They can access they device in less than a couple minutes, do what they need to do, and leave,” Hidalgo said.

This time, the county is at pump number 12 at the 7-Eleven on Main Street, in Watsonville – a gas station they say is on top of their game.

“This staff here actually monitors this on a daily basis,” Weights and Measures Inspector, David George, said.

There was no skimmer found at that pump.

Some advice from the commission: “Pay cash if you’re able to. If you are paying with debit or credit card, you might want to take that into the store,” Hidalgo said.

Advice Scagliotti is following. “(I am changing) how I use money in public. I use cash more often. When using a gas station, I like to use a place I am familiar with.”

California has a penalty specific for credit card skimming. They there are no additional charges that come with this fraud, it is punishable by up to a year in county jail and/or a one thousand dollar fine.

Another thing to look for are strips on the pump. When removed or tampered with, they will often charge to read “void.” Inspectors also say you can use pumps near lights, or ones turned towards a security camera.