Sarasota gas station employees discover skimmers

A month after the Sarasota Police Department Department found skimming devices at two different gas stations, the Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the discovery of two more in the unincorporated county.

On Sunday, a service technician found credit card skimmers in pumps at the Mobil station at 5891 Fruitville Road, which is near Interstate-75, according to a news release. Gas station employees noticed a broken security seal on the pumps while taking out the trash Saturday.

Skimmers are electronic devices placed illegally inside gas station credit card machines to steal information from consumers. The information is then used to make purchases in someone else’s name on a different credit card or gift card. 

“Customers who have purchased gas at this location are encouraged to check their bank statements for any suspicious transactions, no matter how small the amount,” according to the release.

In February, Sarasota police found skimmers at the Marathon on North Washington Boulevard and an Exxon on the 1800 block of South Tamiami Trail.