At a briefing outside a Stop & Shop in New Britain, Lamont joined state commissioners and law enforcement to raise the alarm on skimming, a fast growing crime in which fraudsters install illicit devices over point-of-sale terminals that record card numbers and PINs when a consumer takes an unsuspecting swipe. When the criminals retrieve the skimming device, they use the data to make unauthorized purchases and withdrawals on consumer cards.
Wayne Pesce, the president of the Connecticut Food Association, said retailer efforts to identify skimming devices in stores before they can steal consumer information have resulted in the discovery of at least 12 to 15 devices in the last five weeks.
“We’re seeing an acceleration of this type of activity,” Pesce said.
To combat the crime wave, Pesce said retailers have been trained to mark pin pads with a specific symbol in a unique location. Pesce said store clerks and cashiers will check card readers in the morning, during the day and at closing to ensure that the markings are there and skimming devices have not compromised the machine.
While retailers increase skimming prevention efforts, Lamont and other officials are working to equip consumers with the knowledge and tools to remain vigilant.
“These scammers are targeting Connecticut consumers who are just trying to fuel their cars, buy groceries, and feed their families,” Lamont said. “Our state agencies are working together, along with our towns and cities, local police departments, and the federal government, to combat this issue and keep us safe. But it will require all of us remaining vigilant, learning the signs of a skimming device, sharing that information with our friends and family, and reporting any incidents to the police to bring this scam to an end.”
Pesce and others said Connecticut first saw an uptick in skimming crimes six months ago. The breed of scam made headlines this summer with devices found in ATMs, gas stations and grocery stores.
On Sunday a customer at a 7-Eleven in Montville discovered two credit card skimmers in two payment terminals inside the store.
In July, another skimming device was spotted at an ATM located in a Mobil gas station in Fairfield.
At the end of June, Big Y reported that an “unknown individual attached a skimming device to one single terminal in each of our Naugatuck and Plainville Connecticut locations.”
Andrea Barton Reeves, the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Social Services said skimming has had a particular impact on families who rely on EBT card benefits for food assistance. Barton Reeves said EBT cards are more susceptible to theft because they require consumers to swipe a magnetic strip and input a PIN, as opposed to more secure methods of payment like chips and tap features. Barton-Reeves said the scammers wait until the start of the month when benefits are loaded onto the card to withdraw all of the funds.
Between 2023 and 2024, Barton Reeves said $3.7 million in benefits have been stolen and that the department has processed 7,513 applications for benefit replacement.
“Those are hundreds and hundreds of families who have had the unfortunate experience of going up and attempting to pay for their groceries and finding that all of their benefits have been stolen from their card,” Reeves said.
The skimming spike in Connecticut follows a national trend.
According to a March 2024 analysis from Fair Isaac Corporation, the company that developed the FICO credit score, the number of debit cards compromised in skimming crimes nearly doubled in 2023, impacting more than 315,000 cards and 3,500 financial institutions.
In April, the U.S. Secret Service said “law enforcement agencies have seen a nationwide increase in skimming” over the past two years. According to the FBI, the illicit technology that lay-in-wait at gas pumps, ATMs and point-of-sale terminals costs consumers and financial institutions more than $1 billion annually.
To avoid falling victim to these scams, the FBI and Connecticut state officials offer the following guidance for consumers:
- Location, location, location. According to the FBI, tourist areas and under-supervised terminals are hotbeds for skimming activity. Choosing a more secure location can reduce the risk of theft. When making withdrawals, the FBI recommends using ATMs that are well-lit and located indoors. Connecticut State police also encourage consumers to stick with ATM at brick-and-mortar banks and avoid third-party machines. If you are filling up on gas, the FBI says consumers should “choose a fuel pump that is closer to the store and in direct view of the attendant” or avoid paying at the pump entirely and complete transactions inside with the attendant.
- Inspect before use. Before using an ATM, point-of-sale terminal or other card-reading device, the FBI advises consumers to “look for anything loose, crooked, damaged, or scratched.” State officials say sticky keys, bulky devices and mismatched colors are also red flags. They encourage consumers to give card slots and readers a wiggle to determine if any machine parts are loose or heavier than normal. If anything looks or feels suspicious, don’t use it.
- Use a tap-to-pay option. According to the FBI, “tap-to-pay transactions are more secure and less likely to be compromised” than payment options that require you to swipe or insert a card.
- Don’t swipe. Devices that steal magnetic strip data are more common than those that can steal chip data, according to the FBI.
- Check the keypad. The FBI advises consumers to “examine the keypad before use for any inconsistencies in coloring, material, or shape,” and to “pull at the edges of the keypad before entering your PIN.” These tiny details could signal the presence of a keypad overlay or other skimming device.
- Avoid using a PIN altogether. If it’s an option, the FBI says consumers should opt to run their debit card as a credit card. Just select the credit option at the payment terminal, insert or tap your debit card, and you will not be asked to enter a pin.
- If you have to use a PIN, cover it. While some technology can track consumer’s keystrokes straight from the keypad to keypad, the FBI says many scammers still rely on pinhole cameras to steal customer pins. To avoid the latter, the bureau recommends covering the keypad as much as possible.
- Opt to pay with credit, not debit. The FBI suggests that consumers should “avoid using your debit card when you have linked accounts, since the card’s compromise will give criminals access to all of the accounts.”
- Change your pin. Barton-Reeves said the Department of Social Services recommends that EBT card users change their pin as often as possible to prevent criminals from stealing their benefits.
- Monitor statements and set up alerts. Remaining vigilant is key to identifying and responding to a skimming event. The FBI says consumers should “Routinely monitor your credit card, bank, and EBT or other benefits accounts to promptly identify any unauthorized transactions. If possible, set email or text-message alerts to notify you of card or account transactions.”
- Inconvenience is protection. The FBI recommends turning on account-security options such as multi-factor authentication and account freezes between purchases and withdrawals. “Such steps may seem inconvenient, but they significantly reduce the risk of financial losses,” the FBI said.
- Report. Connecticut state officials encourage consumers to report suspected skimming devices or fraudulent purchases to store managers and law enforcement, and file a complaint with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection through ct.gov/DCP
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