Fraud Alert: The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office issues a warning about credit card skimmers

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. – The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office reminds citizens to take precautions when using their credit or debit card at ATMs, gas stations and other point of sale (POS) and to beware of skimmers, which are devices that Placed directly above the card reading slot to illegally record personal data and PIN information as it is entered.

Skimmers allow criminals to obtain personal identification numbers and the encrypted data on the magnetic strip of a debit or credit card. Once the skimmer is attached to a machine, suspects record the transactions using a hidden camera. This information can then be used to create cloned cards or break into bank accounts to steal money.