CNY Credit card scammers Walmarts and others

[Atticus Pizzaballa]

Yet another credit card skimming device found at Central NY store, police say

Updated: Jul. 29, 2023, 8:13 a.m.|Published: Jul. 28, 2023, 8:14 p.m.



Cortlandville, N.Y. — Another credit card skimming device was found at a store in Central New York, state troopers said.



An employee at a Save a Lot Food store in Cortlandville spotted the device Monday, Trooper Aga Dembinska, a state police spokesperson, said in a news release Friday.



The store is located at 1111 State Route 222. Police did not say which register the device was placed at.



Dembinska said the employee was making a purchase when he noticed the keys on the credit card machine’s keypad looked different.



He pulled on the cover of the keypad and the skimming device came off, Dembinska said.



No suspect information was released by police Friday.



Similar card skimming devices were found at more than a dozen Walmarts in the region over the July 4 weekend.



Experts said the devices are capable of copying credit card information and sending it nearby through bluetooth or practically anywhere through cell service.



To avoid being scammed, experts say to use a card’s chip instead of swiping.



Even better, use the tap feature or Apple Pay or Google Pay, which encrypts card data, according to experts.



While some skimmers are capable of collecting information from transactions where a chip is used, there are fewer of those devices and it can be more difficult to collect that data, according to experts.



***



Walmart stores hit



These are the Walmart stores police agencies have said had skimmers secretly installed, mostly between July 2 and July 5. There could be more stores hit, but Walmart officials refuse to release what stores were targeted. (Note the list includes the checkout lane number where available.)



Auburn (No. 2)

Camillus (No. 5)

Canandaigua (No. 15)

Central Square (No. 1)

Cortland/Cortlandville (No. 2)

East Syracuse (No. 6)

Fulton/Granby (No. 7)

Geneva (No. 13)

Johnson City (No. 11)

Norwich

Oswego (No. 1)

Painted Post Erwin (No. 5)

Waterloo (No. 10)

How to contact Walmart



A Walmart spokesperson said customers concerned they may have been impacted by the skimmers should contact their card provider or Walmart Customer Care Team at 800-925-6278.



More on credit card skimmers



How to avoid becoming a victim of credit card skimmers like those found at CNY Walmarts



Update: Credit card skimmers now found at 11 Walmart stores in Central NY, Upstate New York



See what credit card skimmer found at Central NY Walmarts looks like; 2 more stores identified



The questions Walmart refuses to answer about credit card skimmers found at 5 Central NY stores



Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him: Email | Twitter or at 315-690-6950.



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www.syracuse.com/crime/2023/07/yet-another-skimmer-found-at-central-ny-store-police-say.html



Why is not security cameras picking this up? Look at the photo someone actually had to install this/. Am I correct. One would think anyone would be able to see someone do this.

[Ralph]

   It happens faster than you think.  You have two associates in electronics and they may both be away from the counter stocking, in the bathroom or "helping people" (who might possibly be the distraction), someone else walks over and sticks it on the card reader and walks away........easy peasy.

   At N. Utica we check all the readers in the store once or twice a day, once each shift, every single one.   But still, we figure it's not IF but WHEN it will happen.

   Right now we're fighting a recent wave of counterfeit twenty dollar bills floating around that are being farmed out into the community by kids.

   It never ends.  

[BHU]

I never enter my pin in a card reader or online for ANY reason. And I don't use ATM's unless it's an emergency & I don't have any cash on me. No way am I going to pay $6.00 in fees to get access to my own money.

[Atticus Pizzaballa]

Jul 31, 2023 14:31:28 GMT -5 Ralph said:

   It happens faster than you think.  You have two associates in electronics and they may both be away from the counter stocking, in the bathroom or "helping people" (who might possibly be the distraction), someone else walks over and sticks it on the card reader and walks away........easy peasy.

   At N. Utica we check all the readers in the store once or twice a day, once each shift, every single one.   But still, we figure it's not IF but WHEN it will happen.

   Right now we're fighting a recent wave of counterfeit twenty dollar bills floating around that are being farmed out into the community by kids.

   It never ends.  

That's good to know, Ralph. Thanks.

[Atticus Pizzaballa]

Jul 31, 2023 14:47:14 GMT -5 BHU said:

I never enter my pin in a card reader or online for ANY reason. And I don't use ATM's unless it's an emergency & I don't have any cash on me. No way am I going to pay $6.00 in fees to get access to my own money.

I use Bank of Utica for my banking. No fee's if you use an ATM they sponsor. Ne fee's for the ATM in lobby and outside terminal in the back. Also the ATM at Rite Aid in Kellogg Mall has no fees. When I go through the process of getting a withdrawal it will ask if you agree to the $3.00 service fee but after the transaction your receipt shows no fee was charged. I think this is true for at ATM at Rite Aid and Bank of Utica.