Credit card skimming has been around for a long time, but not many people are arrested for this crime.
Two men were arrested last week after trying to skim credit cards at the Greenwood Walmart on Emerson Avenue.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Johnson County, on Nov. 8, Walmart Asset Protection employees at the store later identified Alexandras Denisovas, 48, and Tom Kaupila, 52, as victims of the attack. Two men, identified as , were seen installing a card skimming device at the store’s self-checkout counter. Magistrates Court.
According to court documents, video footage from inside the store shows Denisova setting up two card skimmers, with Kauppila standing next to them, apparently over the employee’s view of Denisova. It seems like he’s trying to block her out.
Greenwood Police Deputy Chief Matt Fillenworth said the device was quickly removed after a store employee witnessed it being installed, and no one appears to have had any information stolen in the incident.
After witnessing the card skimmer being installed, loss prevention officers were able to follow the men as they exited the store and led police to the scene, according to court documents.
When the police asked them questions, they did not answer. According to court documents, Denisovas refused to speak at all, while Kaupila gave only one-word answers, saying he did not understand the police’s questions.
The Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Greenwood Police Department are continuing to investigate the matter and will file criminal charges once the investigation is complete, Prosecutor Lance Hamner said.
Mr Fillenworth said detectives were still trying to obtain more information from the men and were looking into possible links to recent card skimming incidents reported in nearby locations.
The men are not U.S. citizens, and at least one of them is from Finland. They were transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Hamner said.
About card skimming
Prosecutors are calling this an “alarming increase” in credit card skimming. Credit card skimming occurs when criminals steal your credit card data and charge your card.
“It’s like stealing a credit card when you don’t actually have the credit card,” Hamner explained. “And the theft continues. Skimming is a really minor blow to the victim. It may not be pointing a gun or knife at someone, but skimming is still theft, and the thief will continue to do so until the card is cancelled. will continue to steal from you, and if you don’t get caught soon, you could end up extorting thousands of dollars.”
The crime, known as card skimming, or legally known as possessing a transaction copying device, has been around for years and is typically found in pump-type card readers at ATMs and gas stations, Fillenworth said. Older-style devices, called shimmers, are hard to spot because they’re attached to the inside of the card reader, and the untrained eye won’t notice anything unusual, he said.
Newer types of devices, like the one recovered in this incident, can be difficult to detect because they are tricked out of the card reader cover. The device was placed directly above the card reader at the self-checkout. Fillenworth said the devices included a PIN pad that collected the PIN number along with the credit card number of the card used.
After a skimmer or shimmer is installed, criminals typically stand nearby and wait for card information to be transmitted via Bluetooth or radio waves. Once they collect card data, they typically sell it on the dark web or use it themselves to buy items online, Fillenworth said.
Police often discover skimming devices and credit card companies report that information has been stolen, but they rarely arrest people who are skimming. He said criminals typically take steps to conceal their identity when installing devices, making it difficult for police to identify suspects.
Credit card information can be stolen many times over, so stealing is taken seriously, Hamner said.
“We will vigorously prosecute this crime because skimming indicates a clear intent and plan to continue the theft. “We’re asking for a significant prison sentence. If this was an organized and premeditated theft, the thief should be put in a cage with a big lock,” Hamner said. “It’s that simple.”
How to avoid skimmers
Many types of skimmers and shimmers are installed inside card machines or are designed to work well with card readers, so some devices may not be detected.
But consumers can look for signs that may indicate tampering, Hamner said.
Here are some of those signs:
- Are the buttons on your keypad hard to press? Some skimmers record your keystrokes by placing the device over the actual keypad.
- Does something about the machine look out of place, especially the card reader? Be aware if the colors or materials look or feel different from other machines.
- Do card readers feel flimsy? ATMs and gas station filling stations are mass-produced and generally very sturdy. If your card reader is wobbly or loose, it may have been added by a criminal.
Hamner said if consumers see a suspicious device, they should first avoid using it and then alert store employees or law enforcement about the device.
What to do if you are skimmed
Fillenworth has been the victim of card skimming twice himself. Judging by the timing, they believe both incidents likely occurred at a gas pump.
Both times, the card was used to purchase several expensive items, including cameras, clothing, and branded handbags, before coming to his attention. The suspects were eventually discovered because they had not changed the shipping address on the orders and the items were delivered to Fillenworth’s home.
Fortunately, he said, it was easy to report the crime to the credit card company, which was able to quickly resolve the issue, cancel the charge and send a new card right away.
Hamner said consumers who believe there has been an unauthorized charge on their card should take the following steps:
- First of all, don’t be embarrassed. It can happen to anyone.
- Contact your credit card company (or bank for debit cards). Refunds can be made as many times as you like.
- Review recent transactions, especially those at restaurants, ATMs, and gas stations, and look back to see if anything seems out of place or suspicious.
- If you have any idea where skimming may have occurred, please report it to the police.