PD: Staunton Kroger reports skimming device found on credit card reader used by shoppers

STAUNTON — An illegal credit card skimming device was recently discovered at the Kroger store on Statler Boulevard in Staunton, and police said more than 100 people unknowingly used the compromised credit card keypad, court documents show.

On July 6, the Staunton Police Department received a call for service at the store, where management reported locating a skimming device on a credit card keypad in a self-checkout kiosk, an affidavit to a search warrant said.

Management at the store said all of the credit card keypads are checked every 24 hours, and surmised the skimmer was placed on the device the day before.

Police said the skimming devices will capture a person's credit card information and collect the data. "This device has bluetooth capabilities, and the suspect can return and download the victim's information from a distance without having to remove the item," the affidavit states.

Kroger spokesperson James Menees said the skimming incident is not a common occurrence for the company. "Kroger processes thousands of transactions daily, and fraud incidents involving pin pad skimmers are very rare," Menees said. "With safety as a core value, we employ multiple strategies to protect our customers' financial information, including physical inspections. We remain vigilant and continue to enhance our security measures in place to prevent similar occurrences. Customers are encouraged to remain cautious and report any suspicious activity or concerns to our staff or management immediately."

The FBI said skimming occurs when devices illegally installed on or inside ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, or fuel pumps capture card data and record the PIN entries of cardholders, when applicable.

"Criminals use the data to create fake payment cards and then make unauthorized purchases or steal from victims' accounts. It is estimated that skimming costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year," according to the FBI.

The FBI offers these tips when using an ATM or POS terminal, including those who use Electronic Benefits Transfer:

• Inspect ATMs, POS terminals, and other card readers before using. Look for anything loose, crooked, damaged, or scratched. Don't use any card reader if you notice anything unusual.

• Pull at the edges of the keypad before entering your PIN. Then, cover the keypad as fully as possible when you enter your PIN to prevent cameras from recording your entry. Keep in mind that a pinhole camera may be present anywhere on or around the terminal.

• If possible, use ATMs in a well-lit, indoor location. These may still be compromised, but are less-vulnerable targets.

• Be especially alert for skimming devices in tourist areas, since these are popular targets.

• When possible, use debit and credit cards with chip technology. There are fewer devices in the U.S. that steal chip data than magnetic strip data. However, the mag-stripe data on the backs of these cards is still vulnerable.

• Avoid using your debit card when you have linked accounts, since the card's compromise will give criminals access to all of the accounts. Use a credit card instead.

• Routinely monitor your credit card, bank, and EBT or other benefits accounts to promptly identify any unauthorized transactions. If possible, set email or text-message alerts to notify you of card or account transactions.

• Proactively review the account-security options available for any payment cards you use. These options can include multi-factor authentication of transactions or freezing an account between your own transactions. Such steps may seem inconvenient, but they significantly reduce the risk of financial losses.

• Contact your financial institution immediately if the ATM doesn't return your card after you end or cancel a transaction. This may suggest the presence of a foreign device in the card reader.

No arrests have been made.

Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).