Big Y stores in Worcester and Southbridge among found with credit card skimmers
Big Y Foods is investigating a string of credit card skimming incidents at several locations across the state, including the Worcester and Southbridge locations.
The supermarket company, headquartered in Springfield, said in a statement that an individual used a device on single terminals across ten of their locations between Dec. 19 and Dec. 21, and at a location in Westfield between Dec. 19 and Jan. 12.
Locations hit by the thief are Springfield, Chicopee, Northampton, Ware, Milford, Wilbraham and Ludlow.
“We are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident, and we notified and are working with law enforcement,” said a statement. “We have inspected all of our terminals, and continue to do so.”
Big Y said customers whose information was compromised following the incidents will be notified.
“As a best practice,” added the statement, “customers should always review their bank and credit card statements for any signs of fraudulent activity.”
Skimming devices are built to look like credit card readers which skimmers place atop a payment terminal or ATM to collect card data such as PIN numbers, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Skimmers then return to pick up the device to replicate the collected information onto fake debit or credit cards for later use.
According to the FBI, this type of scam leads to losses that surpass $1 billion per year for consumers and financial institutions.
Some suggestions to prevent skimming include watching out for:
Convex (curving outward) card reader: The FBI says most original card readers are concave, meaning they curve inward into the ATM or payment terminal. Because card readers are placed on top of the original equipment, they typically curve outward and create a convex shape.
Items that seem insecure: You can also try to wiggle the card reader before you insert your card. If it moves, that’s a bad sign.
Keypad with edges that move: Try pulling up on the keypad to see if it has any moving parts. If it looks like a device is sitting on top of the original keypad, don’t use it.
Items that look damaged or scratched: Keep an eye out for anything unusual, including ATMs and payment terminals that look like they’ve been scratched, damaged or tampered with. If a piece of equipment seems crooked or out of place, that’s another red flag that something is off.
Credit cards and debit cards with chip technology are less likely to be skimmed than those without, according to the FBI, as most card skimmers are set up to steal data from magnetic stripe cards instead of cards with chip technology.
More: Police investigating reports of EBT card theft in Worcester
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Big Y stores in Worcester and Southbridge among found with credit card skimmers
