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Cyber Risks · Krebs on Security

Gas Theft Gangs Fuel Pump Skimming Scams

Summary: Criminal groups embed skimming devices inside fuel station pumps to capture card and PIN data, then sell the cards to separate fuel theft rings whose drivers use them to pump gas into trucks and vans fitted with 250- to 500-gallon bladders. A U.S. Secret Service task force in Los Angeles, led by Agent Steve Scarince since 2009, estimates 20 to 30 of these bladder trucks are on L.A. roads at any time, with some gangs stealing more than $10 million per year.

Key Takeaway: Some of these fuel theft rings take more than $10 million a year, and the skimmers they plant are powered by the pump itself, so they run indefinitely and can transmit stolen card data by Bluetooth or SMS without anyone returning to the station. Visa caps fuel purchases at $125, but Scarince says the more intelligent crooks swipe two or three cards per station and fill 40 to 80 gallons to stay under the limit.

Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗

Topics
Data Breaches
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