Mississippi officials caution consumers to be aware of credit card ‘skimming’ operations after reports from grocery store customers

Mississippi police are cautioning consumers to be aware of what appears to be a skimming operation at local grocery stores.

Skimming is also a criminal practice that involves illegally installing devices on ATMs, point-of-sale terminals, or fuel pumps to steal cardholder data. These devices, called skimmers, can capture card data and PIN entries, which criminals can then use to create fake payment cards or make unauthorized purchases.

The Natchez Democrat reports that at least five or six incidents of card fraud have been reported in the Natchez area over the past two days. Officials from the Nathex Police Department believe that these reports may be linked to skimming devices at some local grocery stores.

Natchez Police Chief Cal Green has cautioned locals to change their PIN codes or access codes and add two-point authentication to cards if applicable, “to make them as safe as possible.”

“I know we’ve had two or three reports yesterday and at least two today,” Green said, involving at least one debit card and three or four EBT cards. “These victims had anywhere from $200 or $400 stolen from them.”

Due to the widespread nature of the incidents, the investigation has been turned over to state authorities.

Chief Green mentioned that Natchez is not the only community hit by these devices. She added that these skimming devices are usually held on by magnets and will fall off when shaken.

Green advised locals to regularly check their card balances and report any suspicious activity.