Secret Service Cracking Down On Credit Card Skimmers At Gas Stations
The U.S. Secret Service has recently started a nationwide initiative to crackdown on credit card skimming devices installed at gas stations.
Per a report by NBC News, the crackdown operation — which has been called “Operation Deep Impact,” — was launched on Thanksgiving day when the demand for fuel considerably increased during the holiday season.
According to a statement released by the government agency, “an estimated 54 million Americans will travel across town or across the country for Thanksgiving, and while doing so, many will buy gas for their cars,” the report said.
“These annual increases in motor travelers on the road during holidays mean bigger paydays for card-skimming financial criminals who target victims at fueling stations.”
Per the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), credit card skimming is a process through which illegal card readers, installed to a gas pump’s payment area, steal people’s card information and then sell it or use it to make fraudulent purchases.
