UPDATE: The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office has released additional details into an investigation of some skimming devices found on debit/credit card terminals recently at Dollar General Stores in George and Rock Rapids. A skimmer is an illegal device that criminals attach to card readers at ATMs, gas stations, or point-of-sale terminals to steal credit card information.
Authorities say they originally were notified around 3:25 p.m. on May 11th by staff at the store in George after finding what appeared to be a skimming device. They received a similar call from staff at the Rock Rapids store around 3:45 p.m. that same afternoon. Authorities retrieved the skimming devices, which have been sent in for further examination to determine their capabilities, including whether or not they can transmit data. A press release from the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office says they hope to know the results in the next couple of days and will communicate the findings.
Officers said no skimmer was found at the Larchwood Dollar General, the only other Dollar General store in Lyon County.
Deputies again urge anyone who used a debit or credit card recently at those stores to keep a close eye on their accounts and report anything that appears suspicious.
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Original story:
Rock Rapids, Iowa — If you’ve ever wondered if criminals have reached northwest Iowa yet with those things called “credit card skimmers,” wonder no more. They’re in our neighborhood.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office tells us a credit card skimmer was located at the Dollar General store in George, and another one was located at the Dollar General store in Rock Rapids in the last couple of days.
A credit card skimmer is a small, often inconspicuous device illegally installed on payment terminals such as ATMs, gas pumps, or point-of-sale (POS) systems. Its purpose is to steal credit and debit card information when a card is swiped, inserted, or sometimes even just brought near a compromised reader.
The sheriff’s office says if you have used a credit card at one of these stores in the last couple of days that you should pay extra attention to transactions on your credit card in the near future.
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office advises consumers that if they’re trying to put their card in and the slot is loose, or doesn’t look tight, or it’s overlapping some graphics, or if something just doesn’t look right, it may be a sign that someone has tampered with it.
KIWA Staff Photo
(Update courtesy fellow Community First Broadcasting station KSOU in Sioux Center)
