(Credit: Collegeville Police)
At least six Royal Farms locations hit, police say
An electronic skimmer was found on a cash register at a Royal Farms store in Broomall, Marple Township police said.
The device, which thieves use to copy the information from credit and debit cards used in legitimate transactions, was discovered Saturday, Nov. 9, at the store at 2130 West Chester Pike. Police said the skimmer may have been placed on the register at least a week before its discovery.
Customers who may have made purchases at Royal Farms between Nov. 1 and Nov. 9 are encouraged to check their bank and credit card statements for any suspicious activity. Detective Joe McGettigan is investigating the incident. He may be reached at (484) 427-8173 or by email at [email protected].
Skimming devices are illegally installed on or inside ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, or fuel pumps capture card data and record cardholders’ PIN entries.
A typical device resembles the legitimate card reader slot and pin pad. Thieves simply pry off the existing interface and replace it with the skimmer.
Criminals use the data to create fake payment cards and then make unauthorized purchases or steal from victims' accounts.
Devices have been found in multiple stores around the region, police said, including Glenolden, Broomall, Collegeville, Norristown, Kulpsville, and North Wales.
It is estimated that skimming costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year.
