Dollar General self-checkout warning after ‘lookalike’ device draining accounts found

SHOPPERS have been warned to remain vigilant and identify noise devices at self-service checkouts.

Police are asking customers in a Maryland city to check their credit card information after a skimming device was found at a local Dollar General store.

Dollar General stores may be targeted by skimming scamsSource: Getty

A skimming device was placed at a self-checkout in Maryland and defrauded customersSource: St. County Sheriff Mary’s

Shoppers should be careful when swiping cards at self-service checkouts, ATMs and gas stations to avoid fraudSource: Getty

Store employee St. Mary’s, located about two hours south of Baltimore, initially suspected a cash register malfunction before reporting it to police.

They then found a plastic element imitating a keyboard taped to the self-service machine.

According to the St. County Sheriff’s Office. Mary, police were notified about a skimming device and responded to the incident last Sunday.

Skimming devices steal credit card information and are secretly designed to look like a checkout device.

They can install themselves in ATMs and other chip readers, stealing customer data and sending it to fraudsters.

After police in St. County discovered this, Mary’s Dollar General customers are being warned to check their bank or credit card statements for fraudulent activity.

Victims of the scam may include people who made a purchase between May 24 and 26 at the Potomac Way store in Charlotte Hall.

Customers affected by this scam should call the Sheriff’s Office at 301-475-8008 and file a report.

CATCH THEM

Fraud suspects have not yet been charged for leaving a skimming device at a Maryland store.

According to the St. Police Mary’s, surveillance footage captured two people entering the store on May 24 at approximately 11:51 a.m.

Warning about SKIM fraud after finding a sneaky device for reading card information in 7-Eleven – police officers entered many stores target_WUSA

The recording then shows two people splitting up and one of them connecting the device to the self-service machine.

Both suspects then left the store and appeared to be traveling on foot.

One person was identified as a man with “bushy hair, a dark mustache, a dark tattoo on the left side of his neck and
earring in his left ear,” police said.

The second suspect is also a man described as white or Middle Eastern, with “darker skin, long dark hair and a goatee.”

What is a skimmer device?

A skimmer device is a fraud tool designed to steal sensitive information from credit or debit cards during a transaction.

Imagine a skimmer device as a sneaky thief who hides in ATMs or card machines.
Its purpose is to secretly steal your credit or debit card information when you use it for transactions.
These devices act as little spies that can copy your card details, including your card number and PIN, even without your knowledge.
Skimmers can be cleverly disguised to look like a regular card reader, making them difficult to detect.
Once they have your information, criminals can use it to create fake cards or buy things without your consent, which causes a lot of hassle and stress.
It’s important to always be careful and check card machines for anything unusual before using them to protect yourself from these sneaky devices.

Authorities are asking residents to contact local police with information about the suspects or the incident.

The US Sun reached out to the St. County Sheriff’s Office. Mary and Dollar General for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

KEEP YOUR EYES CLOSE

Maryland customers aren’t the only Americans affected by skimming scams.

Gas stations and ATM readers were also targeted by skimming devices.

Customers should exercise caution when moving cards and ensure that the device does not appear loose or detachable.

Buyers can also detect a skimmer by looking at the edges of the device and making sure the keys light up when in use.

Additionally, the large space in front of the last row of keys on the device could indicate the presence of a skimmer.

Multiple 7-Eleven locations have also been targeted recently, including the Washington, D.C. location.