Beware of credit-card skimmers at gas pumps

LISBON — Columbiana County Auditor Nancy Milliken is warning motorists that credit-card scamming devices, known as skimmers, have been found in various Ohio counties and contribute to the growing problem of credit-card theft.

Milliken has directed Terry Madison, her weights and measurer inspector, to attempt to locate any skimmers that might be illegally installed on gasoline pumps found in Columbiana County.

It was noted that when a credit card is run through a skimmer, the small device stores the cardholder’s data. Once the credit information is obtained, the thief can then sell the information or clone the credit card.

The skimmers are normally located inside the pump and not viewable by the general public, so anything that seems out of place, or indicates that a pump might have been tampered with, should be reported to the station attendant or the local police.