Thursday, August 5, 2010

Cash or . . .

When you buy gas, do you pay at the pump with a debit or credit card? Perhaps you should consider going inside and standing in line to pay.

Consumer Advocate Clark Howard advises that all gas pumps use a standardized key and that some of these keys have fallen into the hands of people who open the pumps and install a magnetic device inside which copies credit/debit cards exactly.


Not the outcome one would wish . . .

3 comments:

Megan (Best of Fates) said...

Ack - I hate stories that make me more paranoid about my life. Especially because I always pay at the pump!

ol Doc said...

The newspaper in Gainesville has had stories of scammers skimming info at several stations just off I-75. They're warning people to go inside and pay, not at the pump. I always think - in the back of my mind, that a big enough skimming operation could be a sign of money being raised to fund some sort of terror operation. This seems really well organized and the pumps were cleared one week, only to have a recurrance the next. New Rule: Always pay inside, no matter where you are!

RANGER said...

The fact that all gas pump keys are alike is disturbing. Like Samsonite luggage keys, no? One size fits all.