Recent customers warned to check bank and credit card statements closely
On the morning of Sept. 25, two suspected skimming devices were found at the Citgo located at 3580 Fruitville Road in Sarasota, the Sarasota Police Department has reported.
One skimming device was found on pump No. 1; the other, on pump No. 3, a news release says. “Both devices were removed and collected as evidence,” the release adds.
The discovery came as members of the Police Department Street Crimes Unit partnered with the Florida Department of Agriculture to undertake gas pump checks in the city of Sarasota, the release said. All 17 gas stations in the city were checked on Sept. 25, the release notes, with only the two skimming devices found.
The Police Department is offering the following safety tips for customers who use convenience store gas pumps:
- Choose a fuel pump that is close to the store’s entrance.
- Use a credit card for the transaction, not a debit card.
- Pay inside and use cash.
The Sarasota Police Department is encouraging customers who recently may have purchased gas at the Fruitville Road Citgo “to pay close attention to bank accounts” and credit card statements, looking for any suspicious transactions, regardless of how small they may be. If anything seems out of order, the release adds, customers should contact their banks immediately.
Anyone with information that may be related to the skiming case is asked to call the Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 941-263-6070, leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS, or going online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com.