Beware at the pumps. New law means no alerts on where credit card skimmers are found.
Say goodbye to the skimmer warnings you’ve been getting.
State officials on Tuesday will unveil consumer information stickers to be put on fuel pumps for motorists to report anything that looks suspicious.
They’ll replace stickers that for years directed people to call Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s office to report skimmers, which thieves use to access to people’s debit and credit cards. When Miller’s office received those calls, it alerted law enforcers and issued alerts letting consumers know where skimmers were found.
Lawmakers recently transferred oversight of gas pumps out of Miller’s office. And they said information about the illegal devices is now confidential, to help police investigations.
Miller released that information anyway, after his attorneys determined the new law didn’t apply to him.
The new stickers will re-direct calls to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which means Miller likely won’t receive any or much information that he can share.
A statement about the unveiling of the new stickers, which will happen at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Quick Trip on Cheek Sparger Road in Euless, said the department will “use its regulatory authority to protect Texas consumers and to investigate motor fuels quantity and pricing complaints.”
Miller declined to comment about the new stickers. Mark Loeffler, his spokesman, said skimmer complaints reported to the department will still be investigated.
“And any time a skimmer might be found by TDA, we’ll inform the public,” Loeffler said. “Commissioner Miller is committed to fighting credit card fraud — in fuel pumps or anywhere else — as part of our duty as the consumer protection agency for Texas.”
How to avoid skimmers
Miller has offered tips to stay safe from skimmers:
▪ Pay inside with cash, if possible.
▪ Use pumps closest to the store, where employees are most likely to see if someone is tampering with them.
▪ Look before you pump and check for any damage to the credit card reader or security tape on the pump cabinet. Report problems to store employees.
▪ Check bank accounts after filling up to make sure there’s no unusual activity.
To file a complaint about pumps or fuel online, go to tdlr.texas.gov/complaints.
This story was originally published January 6, 2020 at 5:58 AM.
