Skimmer alert! | Card skimmer found at Berlin Dollar General

BERLIN, Conn. – A credit card fraudster was discovered at the Dollar General on Farmington Avenue in Berlin on Tuesday, according to a Facebook post from the city’s police department.

Police are unsure how long the skimmer was in place.

Credit card skimmers are devices that cybercriminals connect to real card readers. Cybercriminals use skimmers to scan information on a victim’s debit or credit card to commit credit card fraud or create counterfeit cards to sell on the Dark Web.

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“If you have recently visited the Dollar General on Farmington Avenue and paid by card, please monitor your accounts and let us know if you notice any suspicious activity,” the police Facebook post said. “A card skimmer was discovered at one of the checkout terminals today and it is unknown how long it was there.”

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To identify a card skimmer, police say you can look for alignment issues between the card reader and the plate underneath. Skimmers are often placed on top of the actual card reader, causing it to protrude at an odd angle or obscure arrows in a panel, police said.

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You can also compare the card reader with others at neighboring cash registers or gas pumps and pay attention to any differences, according to the police. Additionally, a physical inspection of a card reader and keyboard can often uncover fraudulent devices, police said.

“Feel around the reader and try to move it to see if it slides easily,” the Facebook post says.

Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer for FOX61 News. He can be reached at [email protected].

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