By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Centralia police are investigating after credit card skimmers were discovered on two pumps at a local gas station yesterday.
The case is being investigated as possible fraud and theft, but it is unknown if there are victims at this time, according to Officer Angie Humphrey.
Police were called to the Chevron at the 1200 block of Mellen Street just before 12:15 p.m. yesterday when the devices were found by a state inspector.
Humphrey said at this point, they have no idea how long the skimmers were in place. They were on outside pumps, she said.
Police collected the two devices and are contacting a specialized team with the Washington State Crime Laboratory to examine them. She said she doesn’t yet know if credit card information would have been collected remotely or if whoever installed them would have had to physically retrieve the skimmers to get customers’ data.
Humphrey recommends the public to be vigilant with their accounts.
Anyone who detects a false charge should contact their credit card company immediately and also report it to police, she said. Humphrey also advises people to check their credit reports on a routine basis.
The gas station owner is putting extra security measures in place, she said.
The inspector with the weights and measures unit who found the items told Humphrey he has found a couple of other skimmers in Lewis County in the recent past.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter