Skimming Victim Warns Others After She Was Hit Twice
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4)- In Highlands Ranch, a woman is warning others of a skimming scheme that she was a victim of-- twice.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said they see problems with card skimming often. That's when crooks use devices slipped into exposed credit card machines to get your personal information.
Renee Anderson told CBS4 that she stopped at a Shell gas station off Quebec in Highlands Ranch to fill up her car about a month ago. A few days later, she received an alert from her bank.
"They asked me if I had a charge at the Walmart up in Broomfield, and I said no I haven't been to Broomfield," she explained. "So they did the usual okay, we need to shut your card down."
Her bank closed her account and issued her a new card. Anderson said about one week later, she found herself needing gas again, and pulled into the same gas station.
"As I was putting my card into the payment thing, I was thinking I don't know maybe this is where it got stolen," Anderson said. "But I thought let's see what happens."
Sure enough, someone stole her information again. Just like the first time, she found purchases at Walmart's along the Front Range on her bank statement. Anderson said there were four charges for payments between $45 and $50.
"I thought this is huge and there are people that need to know about this," Anderson said.
She decided to file a police report after the second incident.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said they are currently investigating around 6 cases that could be related to card skimming. Two of them, have direct evidence of the crime.
"We have some fruitful leads we are looking into," explained Sgt. Derek Castellano who is the head of the financial crime team at the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
Castellano said they recently made some arrests for card skimming, but those investigations are ongoing.
There are some ways to help prevent your information from being stolen. Castellano urges drivers to use pumps close to the gas station door, as a first step. Also, to look for the safety seal that can be found on the pump.
"If you see any type of void or seal that has been broken, at a gas station pump, don't use it," Castellano said.
Anderson said that after her experience, she wants others to know it is important to keep an eye on your bank statements.
Makenzie O'Keefe joined the CBS4 team as a reporter in 2017. Read her bio, follow her on Twitter at @makenziepokeefe or email her your story ideas.