Police find card skimmers at Topeka discount stores

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Topeka police say more card skimmers are being found locally, posing a financial danger to locals who fall victim to the devices.

27 News reached out to the Topeka Police Department (TPD) amid reports of new card skimmers being found in the Capital City this week. City spokeswoman Rosie Nichols confirms police found and recovered two card skimmers at two local Dollar General locations.

Nichols said one card skimmer was recovered at the Dollar General located at 1001 Southwest Fairlawn Road while another came from the Dollar General at 3410 Southeast 29th Street. Both skimmers were discovered on Nov. 26 and removed.

The TPD previously posted a warning about card skimmers in August this year after one was recovered from a local Dillons. Another card skimmer was also found attached to a local 24-hour ATM in May.

"The Topeka Police Department takes all crimes impacting residents seriously, including card skimming," Nichols said. "We encourage everyone to be aware of the devices they use for financial transactions and report any suspicious activity to store personnel and law enforcement immediately."

Nichols said no card skimmers were found in 2023, marking a rise in this type of crime in Topeka for 2024. She also confirms no arrests have been made yet in connection to card skimmers this year.

"If someone believes they are a victim of a card skimmer, they should contact their financial institution and file a report with law enforcement," Nichols said.

27 News has reached out to Dollar General for a comment on the situation.

Card skimmers are used to steal the credit card information of shoppers, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Thefts of this nature cost financial institutions and everyday citizens more than $1 billion each year. Some tips to keep in mind to avoid coming into contact with a skimmer include the following:

• Inspect card readers before inserting your credit or debit card.
• Check to see if the card reader looks like it has been tampered with.
• Feel the card reader to see if it is loose or off-centered.
• Check to see if the alignment between the card reader and the panel beneath it appears off.
• Compare your card reader with others nearby.
• Look inside the reader for a thin plastic circuit board – if the circuit board is visible, this is a skimmer.
• If available, use a register with a staff member.
• Use tap to pay or contactless pay whenever possible.

You can make reports of card skimmers by contacting the TPD at 785-368-9551. For more information on card skimmers, check out the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s website.

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