SAN ANTONIO – Your personal information could be in the hands of a criminal if you filled your car up with gas Wednesday. San Antonio police said they have found as many as four credit card skimmers at different gas stations around the city.
At a Valero in the 6100 block of Walzem Road outside of Windcrest, you could see a gas pump opened up showing the electronics inside. An officer told KSAT 12 the device they found on it is very high-tech.
"They kind of pop up randomly, and whenever this happens, you know, we take it very seriously," Officer Morgan Lucas said.
While still trying to connect the dots, police said this was either the third or fourth credit card skimmer they found Wednesday.
Investigators said they don't know how long the devices may have silently collected financial information, but a maintenance worker discovered the one on Walzem about 2:30 p.m.
"Pay attention to your transactions, and really pay attention to make sure that if you see something out of the ordinary, things that come up, make sure you call police," Lucas said.
With just a simple swipe of your card, a skimming device installed on the credit card reader can get your information. If the reader is loose or looks like it’s tampered with, police say there's reason for worry.
"You can move it around, and hopefully, if it decides to come loose or something, you might want to go ahead and let the store know," Lucas said.
Some drivers said they would probably never know.
"(It’s) pretty scary," driver Yogi Paudyan said, while pumping fuel at a gas station.
"I'd rather just go inside and pay for it, get out of the truck and walk," said Robert Wier, as he was filling his tank.
Police said they don’t know if anyone has been affected by the skimmers they found Wednesday. People who notice suspicious activity on their account should call police and alert their financial institution.