Skimming device found at local gas station

A credit card skimmer was found at a local gas station, Pocatello police said Monday.

The skimmer is a device that makes duplicate credit card readings and holds them in its memory, enabling a criminal to store credit card numbers.

Luckily, the skimmer was not properly installed, so nobody fell victim. Skimmers need to be manually removed in order for the stored credit card information is obtained. However, since they use such small batteries, they do not last very long. Police said they need to be removed before the skimmer battery is depleted or all of the information will be lost.

Police are not disclosing the gas station where the skimmer was found, but is contacting all local gas stations and advising managers to check the security of their gas pumps.

To install a skimmer, one has to access the internal workings of the pump and add the device to the electronics. However, the local credit card skimmer was not installed correctly and did not record data.

If you have seen a suspicious person tampering with a pump, likely at night at a 24-hour station, contact the business or police immediately.

Similar incidents may be occurring in Utah, police said.