Eighty-one credit card skimmers were discovered during state inspections of 6,000 gas pumps throughout the state.
The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspectors found one skimmer in Sumter County and two in Marion County.
In Sumter County, the skimmer was found at Circle K in Lake Panasoffkee.
In Marion County, inspectors found skimmers at the Kangaroo station at 14870 S. U.S. Highway 441 in Summerfield and the Park Qwik King Food Store in Ocala.
Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam is urging consumers to take steps to protect themselves from skimmers:
• Pay in cash inside the store to ensure the credit card information stays safe.
• Check to make sure the gas pump dispenser cabinet is closed and has not been tampered with. Many stations are now putting a piece of security tape over the cabinet to ensure it has not been opened by unauthorized individuals.
• Use a gas pump closer to the front of the store. Thieves often place skimmers at the gas pumps farther away from the store so they are not noticed as quickly.
• Use a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit cards have better fraud protection, and the money is not deducted immediately from an account.
• If using a debit card at the pump, choose to run it as a credit card instead of a debit card. That way, the PIN number is safe.
• Monitor bank accounts regularly to spot any unauthorized charges.
• Consumers who suspect their credit card number has been compromised should report it immediately to authorities and their credit card company.
The counties and numbers of skimmers found are as follows:
• Alachua – 2
• Bay – 1
• Brevard – 5
• Broward – 9
• Charlotte – 1
• Citrus – 2
• Duval – 3
• Hernando – 2
• Hillsborough – 6
• Lee – 2
• Marion – 2
• Martin – 3
• Miami-Dade – 14
• Okaloosa – 2
• Orange – 4
• Osceola – 2
• Palm Beach – 8
• Pasco – 1
• Pinellas – 1
• Polk – 3
• Sarasota – 1
• St. Lucie – 1
• Sumter – 1
• Suwannee – 2
• Volusia – 2
• Walton – 1
