OF SHERIFF WAYNE IVEY I hope everyone had a great weekend! As we head back to work this week, I thought we would focus our Crime Prevention efforts on protecting you against criminals when you stop at a store to fuel your vehicles. Todays criminals look for every opportunity to target us regardless if its by stealing our credit cards through skimming at a gas pump or stealing our possessions while we are not alert. With that in mind, we would ask that you please. apply the following crime prevention techniques when getting fuel or when patronizing a store: AVOIDING CREDIT CARD FRAUD Criminals often install in-line credit card skimmers inside gas pumps where you are unable to see them. The device is installed by opening the door on the gas pump and installing the device. When you insert your credit card, the device captures the info embedded on your credit card and stores it for recovery at a later time. Current intelligence tells us that in most cases the devices are installed in the gas pumps that are located the furthest from the store and out of the immediate view from the employees. While most businesses use a protective seal on the door of the pump to assure you that it is safe to use, there are no guarantees that the integrity of the pump is protected. We suggest the following crime prevention measures to protect yourself: 1. Always try to get gas from the pumps that are on the inside gas lanes in direct view of the business employees. 2. Prior to using the gas pump, look for the security seal and any suspicious or abnormal devices attached to the front of the pump. 3. When possible, use the same credit card to get fuel on all occasions. This technique allows you to easily monitor credit card transactions and to easily determine if the card has been compromised. 4. Use real-time credit card monitoring so that you are aware of every purchase that takes place on your account. Many credit card companies and banks offer alerts by text message that notify you anytime your credit card is used for a transaction. THEFT FROM YOUR VEHICLE A new technique that is being used by criminals is called sliding. Unfortunately, many of will leave your car unlocked while standing at the gas pump. Sliders will pull alongside your vehicle and appear to be getting gas but instead the passenger of the vehicle exits and then low crawls to your unlocked door. Suspects then enter the vehicle having access to your purse, cellular telephone and even briefcases that are all often left in plain view. Below is a link to a video clip that demonstrates how the criminal technique works. In an effort to avoid being a victim of this type of criminal activity, please take the following precautions: 1. When exiting your vehicle. always lock your doors and keep your keys safely stored in your pocket. If you believe someone is trying to target you, then immediately activate you car alarm to draw attention to yourself. 2. Never leave your valuables sitting in the front seat where someone can walk by and grab them off the front seat or through an open window. 3. Always keep a constant watch on everything around you and especially cars that pull into the pumps while you are getting fuel. 4. Always park in well lighted areas so that everyone can see you and you can see anyone walking around you. Routinely look around the surrounding area and make sure that no one can easily walk up to you without being noticed. If someone approaches you that you do not know, quickly enter your vehicle and lock the doors so you can safely exit the parking lot. Please make sure to use the above listed techniques to protect you and your family. It is also important to make sure that we share this type of Crime Prevention information with our teenage drivers that often find themselves needing to stop for fuel or who will be heading away to college at the end of the school year. Sheriff Wayne Ivey
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 16:27:29 +0000
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