County wins award for protecting residents from card skimmers at gas stations

It may seem arcane, but does somebody actually check to make sure that when you buy a pound of ground beef from the butcher or a half pound of sliced pepper jack or Havarti from the deli counter that it is actually a pound or a half pound respectively.  Well yes, someone does check its the inspectors from the Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures in San Bernardino County.  Now, that department has won a Merit Award from the California State Association of Counties (CSAC).

Established in 1915, the San Bernardino County Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures routinely inspects motor fuel dispensers (Gasoline and Diesel Pumps at Gas Stations) to ensure the accuracy of the volume of fuel dispensed.  The department recently began checking for credit card skimmers while conducting those inspections.

Skimmers can range from complicated devices installed inside a card reader to simple devices hidden within retail motor fuel dispensers. The skimmers capture credit card numbers and PINs. The credit card information can then easily be transmitted to remote electronic devices, which in turn can be used fraudulently. Credit card fraud is the second most common type of identity theft reported and the FBI stated card skimming costs consumers and financial institutions more than $1 billion a year.

Since the initiative started, Agriculture/Weights & Measures inspectors have found 18 credit card skimmers throughout the county. These inspections have resulted in fuel station owners and consumers having added confidence they are less likely to be the victim of fraud when using a card to purchase fuel.