Bridgeport police searching for man who attempted to insert skimming device at supermarket
A crime that can drain your bank account in seconds is showing up in stores, ATMs, and gas stations across Connecticut. Now, police in Bridgeport are searching for this man, accused of trying to install a card-skimming device inside a supermarket.
Skimming is when criminals place devices on card readers, ATMs, and gas pumps to steal your credit, debit, and EBT card information.
One man in Bridgeport was caught on camera trying to do that this week at a Gala Foods Supermarket.
“He gave my cashier a 100-dollar bill, and while she was doing the transaction, he tried to put a skimmer on the cc machine,” said Carlos Pena, the owner of Gala Foods Supermarket.
Bridgeport police are investigating this skimming attempt, where it appears the suspect’s device couldn’t latch onto the supermarket’s register.
“That’s when the cashier noticed something weird was going on.
Then, the video shows the man running off.
Pena said this isn’t the first time something like this has been attempted at the store. That’s why they have loss prevention staff and stay vigilant.
“We have a special scanner that scans all the terminals for every 20 minutes, we scan each terminal to be safe,” said Pena.
Police said that shoppers should look for loose parts on the card reader, cover the keypad when entering the PIN, and monitor their bank account.
If you use EBT cards, there’s no tap-to-pay or cash option. That’s why the state recommends that EBT cardholders lock their cards when not in use and change their PINs often.
“We do our part, but if they don’t change the technology, there’s going to be a lot of issues going on,” said Pena.
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