Skimming at the pump

POST FALLS — Police are looking for suspects in an elaborate national credit card theft ring that has targeted gas pumps in at least two locations.

“This is a pretty big case that has national implications,” said Post Falls Police Chief Scot Haug.

The chief said there is a group of Cuban immigrants from Florida that are involved in gang activity. They are going around the country installing credit card skimmers on gas pumps and stealing credit card information from people who are using the pump.

So far, Haug said detectives have found two devices on pumps at the Jifi Stop gas station on Spokane Street and Seventh Avenue.

“We don't know the full extent of this yet,” Haug said, adding he is sending officers to check more gas pumps and he is urging all gas station owners to check for the devices on their pumps.

Haug said some of the devices have been found in Spokane and Airway Heights as well.

“This is happening nationwide,” he said. “They estimate these guys have stolen between $8 million and $15 million nationwide.”

Haug said they have two suspects who were responsible for the skimmers in Post Falls. Felony warrants have been issued for their arrest, but they are most likely back in Florida now. They will be extradited to Post Falls when they are caught, he added.

Post Falls Police detectives have been working a significant number of credit card fraud cases over the past several months. As a result, investigators have traced several covert credit card skimmers to gas pumps in Post Falls.

According to a press release, the suspects opened gas pumps undetected, connected credit card skimmers to the interior electronics of the gas pump and collected credit card numbers of customers as they insert their cards into the pump. The pump functions normally and there is no way a customer would know the skimmer is collecting their credit card data.

Haug said the criminals transfer the credit card information onto a gift card and use that card as a credit card to rack up charges.

“I have to say I am very impressed with Detective (Neil) Uhrig for his work on this one,” Haug said. “He could have just taken a report and said there are no suspects, but he pursued it and likely saved a lot of people a lot of money.”

Please check your credit card statements to verify purchases. If you have been the victim of fraud, contact the Post Falls Police Department.