BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs & Business Regulation’s Division of Standards has discovered gas pump skimmers in Hingham, Westwood and Bridgewater after conducting random inspections of gas station fuel dispensers to deter thieves using skimmers to steal credit-card and debit-card information.
In addition to the inspections, it sent a letter in December to more than 50 gas dispenser servicing companies seeking their cooperation in reporting to local law enforcement and the Division of Standards any skimming devices they discover either affixed to a gas pump or installed within the pump’s upper chamber.
The Division of Standards has reminded all 2,600 gas station owners and operators in the state to regularly check their fuel pumps for evidence of tampering and skimming devices.
“Consumers who routinely use plastic at the pumps need to be wary of the increasing frequency with which skimmers are being found,” said Consumer Affairs Undersecretary John Chapman. “If you see something that doesn’t look right at the pump or notice a broken security seal, notify the attendant immediately and consider paying for your gas inside the service station.”
The Division of Standards memo called on gas dispenser servicing companies and gas station owners to follow specific procedures if they discover a skimming device:
- Take a photograph of the device, but don’t touch it as forensic evidence may be recoverable by law enforcement.
- Immediately contact local law enforcement and either the local weights and measures officials or the Division of Standards.
- Tell the station owner/operator to take the gas dispenser out of service until the police have removed the device.
“We all have a vested interest in eliminating this problem to the greatest extent that we can,” said Charles H. Carroll, director of the Division of Standards. “Service station owners, operators and dispenser repair companies all have an ethical and legal obligation to notify local law enforcement and weights and measures officials as soon as a skimmer is found. Failure to do so could be subject to legal action.”
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