Jacksonville, FL — State inspectors found 20 credit card skimmers in Jacksonville in 2018 and with three months into 2019, state inspectors are announcing they found two in the Atlantic Beach area
Atlantic Beach Police say the Department of Agriculture inspected a local gas station and found card skimmers on two pumps.
According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, skimmers are small electronically devices illegally installed inside gas pumps. They first started to appear in the Sunshine State in 2015.
READ: The #1 way to protect yourself from skimmers if you pay with debit at the gas station
Consumer Warrior Clark Howard says criminals are using these devices to electronically steal someone’s debit or credit card number, duplicate it and then ultimately use the money.
"Before you know it, your checking account is empty."
Clark says the best way to keep bank account information safe is to use your debit card inside the store instead of paying at the pump. This method does not eliminate the risk of your bank account information getting stolen but decreases it. If you have to pay at the pump, Clark suggests using your credit card instead because it will be easier to dispute charges.
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