Card skimmer found on self-checkout at Gastonia Walmart. Here’s how to spot them

GASTONIA, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A card skimmer was recently used at a Gastonia Walmart, which is part of a broader issue, police say.

The Gastonia Police Department reported Friday that its Cyber Forensics Task Force located several Bluetooth skimmers on card reader devices inside local stores. One was being used at the self-checkout in the Walmart on North Myrtle School Road.

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Officers say these devices are placed there to digitally read your card and PIN, then transfer the data in real time to the scammer in a remote location nearby. They can be put anywhere a digital transaction is made, including gas pumps, grocery stores and ATMs.

They offered the following tips to spot the devices:

• If the keypad seems thicker than normal, it might be suspect.

• Is the keypad flimsy? Does it look old and possibly tampered with in some way?

How to avoid being scammed:

• Always use your card as a credit card, not debit where you have to enter a PIN.

• Use devices with a cashier present; Self-checkout devices are more likely to be tampered with.

• Use the “tap to pay” option.

Officers ask people who identify a card reader that looks tampered with, to report it to the store manager immediately.

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