Members of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Financial Crimes Division and their counterparts in East Baton Rouge and Jefferson Parishes partnered with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the U.S. Secret Service last week in a sweep of 4,830 retail motor fuel dispensers at 535 gas stations in East Baton Rouge, Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes to search for credit card skimming devices. One skimmer was found in an outlying area of St. Tammany Parish. Here is a link to a release from the LDAF, which includes tips for credit/debit card uses as well as a video about last weeks operation.
“Credit card skimming devices are tools criminals are using more and more to steal from our law-abiding citizens,” St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith said. “The devices are often undetectable to the untrained eye and by the time someone realizes they have been victimized, it is often days or weeks later and the criminals have moved on to another location. Partnering with the LDAF plus the U.S. Secret Service to participate in this sweep served two purposes. We not only looked for and attempted to identify devices currently in use on pumps in our parish to prevent future victims, but we also benefitted from the extensive knowledge of our partners to help further educate our personnel on how to detect and locate credit card skimmers in the future.”
Skimming Device Joint Task Force
Baton Rouge, La. (August 12, 2019) – One credit card skimming device was discovered and removed by Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Weights and Measurements division inspectors and law enforcement over a four day period. The LDAF, U.S. Secret Service, Jefferson and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Offices participated in a sweep of 4,830 retail motor fuel dispensers at 535 gas stations in East Baton Rouge, Jefferson and St. Tammany Parishes August 6 – 9, 2019 to search for skimming devices.
The joint effort had multiple goals: Work with local law enforcement jurisdictions to educate all involved on the detection of credit card skimmers in fuel dispensers. Define standard operating procedures on evidence gathering and removal of devices. Work to train all law enforcement on best practices to detect and remove skimming devices. Develop a working relationship between all jurisdictions involved with credit card skimming devices.
In the past two years, LDAF inspectors have confiscated 48 skimming devices throughout the state. In addition to making sure all measuring devices are calibrated properly, 47 LDAF Weights and Measures inspectors are working in all 64 parishes each day to protect consumers from fraudulent practices secured from skimming devices inside gas pumps at 3,500 gas stations across the state.
This four day sweep in three parishes is a way to continue to hone their skills as well as work with local, state and federal authorities to share best practices. This also allows for the opportunity to train law enforcement as well as develop close working relationships at the local level.
Protecting your personal information: Whenever possible, do not use the debit card function at the gas pump. Use it as a credit card in order to protect your pin number. Monitor your debit/credit card activity online and contact your bank to report unauthorized charges. Whenever using a credit card, try to use a pump that is easily seen by gas station employees. Pumps that are less visible are commonly targeted because crooks can easily install a skimmer in a short period of time. Check the pump card reader for signs of forced entry like bent panels or broken security tape.
Once the device is analyzed, all financial institutions affected are contacted by the Secret Service. LDAF
