Written by Amanda Coers – Early Police are investigating reports of card skimmers at fuel pumps in gas stations around Brown County. A device was located at a pump near the 100 block of Early Boulevard by a pump maintenance man who notified police when he found it. The skimmer appears to be identical to the one Brownwood Police investigated earlier in the week.

A “skimmer” is a device made to be affixed to a debit/credit card reader and secretly swipes information when customers slip their cards into the machines. It can be difficult to spot them.

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Customers are urged to check pumps before using them, but given the near-invisibility of the devices, it might not be possible to totally avoid a skimming scam. There are a few options for wary consumers: be suspicious if the gas pump has a broken security seal, or the word “void” appears on it, choose pumps closest to the physical building, and lastly pay inside, with cash or a credit card, rather than at the pump.

Those who may have gotten gas in the affected area recently are also asked to check their bank statements for any suspicious activity. The Early Police Department is asking if anyone may have seen someone accessing the fuel pumps at any store that did not appear to be an authorized pump service technician or may have had a computer plugged into the secure area of a pump to contact either the Early or Brownwood Police Department.

Early Police will be working with the Brownwood Police Department and the affected businesses to identify a suspect. Both departments encourage everyone to monitor their credit card bills and report any unauthorized transactions.