Grand Island Police Department, Courtesy
GRAND ISLAND — Credit card skimmers were located at businesses in Grand Island and Kearney. The Grand Island Police Department is asking residents to routinely check their accounts for fraudulent purchases.
The GIPD stated in a social media post that a credit card skimmer had been located by an observant employee at a Grand Island business. It had been placed over the actual device on Thursday, Jan. 12.
GIPD was asking for the public’s help in identifying two individuals who appeared to have also placed another skimmer at a Kearney business on the same day.
Skimmers are devices that can steal credit and debit card information, costing financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year, according to the FBI.
They are installed illegally on ATMs, fuel pumps or point of sale (POS) systems. When customers swipe their credit or debit cards using the card reader, the skimmer can scan or skim their card information.
Some skimmers use Bluetooth devices to steal credit or debit card information. That means the stolen credit or debit card information can then be sent to a thief’s computer or phone.
When a card is skimmed, its details can be stolen via the card’s magnetic strip. And then things like the cardholder name, card number and expiration date can be copied and used in fraudulent ways.
