AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center has prevented millions of dollars in losses from financial crimes like card skimming last year, the center said Tuesday.
The center found 35 skimmers at gas stations in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties in 2023.
Across Texas, the center recovered 228 skimmers last year and 396 more skimmers in 2022, when the intelligence center opened. In its two years of operations, more than 5,500 credit cards were recovered.
These efforts prevented $171.5 million in monetary losses across Texas since the center opened in January 2022, according to the center.
The partnership between the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and the Smith County District Attorney’s Office was created to investigate financial crimes like organized crime, credit card skimming and shimming, according to the center’s website.
What is credit card skimming?
Scams called card skimming are when a device is attached to money machines and takes information from credit or debit cards, according to the US Department of the Treasury. A second device can capture the card user’s personal identification number, or PIN, from the keypad.
Thieves can combine this information to drain a bank account, make purchases or sell information to others.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation recommends several steps to protect against skimming at gas stations, including:
going to a station that is well lit with security cameras
paying for gas inside with cash
paying with a store’s mobile app or paying with a credit card
not using a debit card or choosing the “credit” option to avoid providing a PIN
choosing a gas pump close to the building within the clerk’s line of sight
monitoring credit card statements for unauthorized purchases
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