Law enforcement authorities in Philadelphia and South Jersey are on the lookout for a man linked to a series of credit card skimming operations, with cases emerging at various convenience stores and dollar outlets across the regions. PHL17 reported that the suspect installed these devices, which can capture credit card information, at least as early as January 2 at two Philadelphia 7-Eleven locations, and as of yesterday, a Family Dollar in Pennsauken, New Jersey.
These devices often go unnoticed as they are designed to sit atop the existing payment keypads, and the suspect has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to install them rapidly, even during busy store periods where his actions can easily be masked by the crowd, while he does this time and nobody seems to look twice, said store worker Chowdhury Akm in an interview according to 6abc. Shoppers are being advised to examine point-of-sale systems for any loose or suspicious-looking components or, to limit risks, opt for alternative payment methods such as cash or contactless features.
The investigation took a collaborative approach as authorities in New Jersey and Philadelphia began linking separate incidents, especially after a skimming device was discovered on a payment machine at the Family Dollar on Route 130 in Pennsauken. Police are working together to determine whether the multiple skimming incidents across several states may be connected to a single operation, according to 6abc.
In a recent update, Pennsauken Police posted on social media that a credit card skimmer was discovered at a Family Dollar store. They are advising customers to contact their credit card companies, as it is unclear how long the device may have been compromising cardholder information. In previous cases, card numbers and PINs have been captured when cards were inserted or swiped, leading to fraudulent activities. Detectives are continuing their investigation, and anyone with information about the devices or related suspicious activity is asked to contact Detective Patrick Downs at (856)-488-0080 ext. 2411, as reported by NBC Philadelphia.
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