Police have issued an urgent warning about self-checkout after a scam by fraudsters went undetected for 18 days.
The criminals had placed a card-reading device, disguised as a numeric keypad, in the self-service aisle of several stores in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Two men are being pursued for fraud, WFSB reportedIt’s the latest example of a disturbing new fraud at self-checkouts, a new version of a well-known trick that has been used for decades at ATMs. A similar case recently occurred at a Kroger.
Card scanners, which fraudsters often hide in ATMs and card machines, steal information such as card numbers and PINs for credit and debit cards.
With that information, they can make fake cards or use the information for online purchases without the owner’s permission.
Two Walmart stores have been the target of scams recently
Cromwell police released images of the two suspects who installed the devices.
In one incident, police received a complaint from Walmart on July 17 after staff discovered a card scanner on one of its checkout machines.
After staff reviewed the store’s security footage, it was discovered that the criminals had placed the skimmer at the cash register on June 29, about 18 days earlier.
“It was further determined that the suspects are also responsible for placing credit card scanners at cash registers in stores across the state,” Cromwell police said in a statement Tuesday.
Cromwell police also released images of the two suspects, who they are still searching for.
Suspects with a similar description were also caught on camera installing a card skimming device on machines at nearby LaBonne’s Markets in Prospect, according to police.
Devices were also found in cash registers at Big Y branches in Naugatuck and Plainville, which were installed on June 29.
Another device was found at the Naugatuck Walmart on July 17.
“Providing customers with a safe shopping experience is a top priority,” Walmart said in a statement.
“We are continually reviewing protocols and adding enhanced security measures to better protect in-store transactions,” the statement added.
A skimming device was also detected in Georgetown, Delaware last month.
The device remained undetected by the customer and staff for about ten days, according to local authorities.
“It’s terrible. I didn’t think this was really going to happen and then you hear about it on the news,” said Georgetown resident Virginia Layfield. he told Coast TV News.
“You know, you never know from one day to the next what can happen in a small area like this,” he said.
The device was only discovered and reported to police when a customer discovered fraudulent charges on his card, Coast TV reported.
“We’re reaching out to our partners at the FBI to see if we can do facial recognition, see if he’s part of a larger group,” Lt. Matthew Barlow of the Georgetown Police Department told the outlet.
The skimming device found at the Connecticut Walmart
“Oftentimes when we’re talking about fraud of this nature, wire fraud and things like that it can be part of a larger organization, it can be something that our partners, the FBI or the Secret Service, are already investigating, so we just want to be helpful on that front, obviously taking care of our victims here locally as well,” he added.
How to avoid card cloning scams
Dr. Vahid Behzadan, an adjunct professor of computer science at the University of New Haven, told WFSB that one of the best ways to protect yourself from this type of fraud is to use contactless cards or Apple Pay, which doesn’t require inserting a card into a machine.
Behzadan also recommends staying vigilant by looking for anomalies by tapping the card reader, frequently checking credit card payments for unusual transactions and even setting up transaction notifications on a smartphone.
