Card skimming devices turned up on fuel pumps across the Denver metro area, and investigators in Adams County say some of them were paired with something far more alarming: razor blades glued just above the keypads. The discovery, confirmed by Adams County investigators, blends a familiar financial scam with a deliberate physical hazard aimed at anyone who gets close enough to notice the tampering.
The skimmers were found attached above fuel-pump keypads, according to Adams County investigators, while the razor blades were glued to some of the same pumps in that exact location, per the same investigators. As CBS Colorado reports, investigators have not named the affected stations while the investigation remains active.
The timing adds urgency for a specific group of drivers. CDLLife reported that the Adams County Sheriff's Office issued an alert specifically aimed at fleet and commercial diesel fuel card holders, asking commercial drivers who fueled in the Denver metro area to review their accounts for fraudulent charges. Commercial trucking operations tend to run large, high-value transactions at the pump, making diesel card holders an especially attractive target for anyone harvesting card data.
How to Check Your Card and Report Suspicious Pumps
Adams County recommends that anyone who has fueled up recently check their financial accounts regularly for unauthorized or suspicious charges. The county is also urging people to physically inspect fuel pumps, ATMs, and in-store point-of-sale terminals before paying, looking for anything loose, warped, or out of place around the card reader or keypad.
If something looks off, officials say not to touch it. Adams County's guidance is to avoid handling any suspicious device directly, instead notifying station staff and law enforcement so it can be examined and removed safely — a precaution that carries extra weight given the razor blades reportedly found glued near some keypads. Anyone who spots unauthorized transactions is urged to contact both their financial institution and law enforcement.
Reporting channels depend on where the skimming happened. People who believe their cards were skimmed in unincorporated Adams County can file a report with the Adams County Sheriff's Office at 303-288-1535, while residents of cities within the county should contact that specific city's police jurisdiction instead. Anyone unsure which agency to call is advised simply to report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement agency for the location where it occurred.
Why Victims Should Report Even After Getting Reimbursed
In a public service statement, the Adams County Sheriff's Office noted that victims who have already been reimbursed by their card companies should still file a report. Transaction records, even from closed-out fraud cases, help investigators link related incidents across multiple jurisdictions and potentially locate additional compromised pumps that haven't yet been discovered.
That kind of cross-referencing matters because skimming fraud rarely stays contained to one gas station or one county. The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that card skimming at fuel pumps, ATMs, and point-of-sale terminals costs consumers and financial institutions more than $1 billion nationwide every year, according to the FBI.
How Card Skimming Works
A card skimmer is a device used to capture payment-card information.
The Earlier Hoodline reporting described a San Antonio case and a broader Texas pattern involving short-term rentals. The Adams County investigation remains ongoing.
