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Crime & Safety

Credit Card Skimming Device Found at Napa Gas Station

Did you use a card to pay for gas at Conserve Fuel on Jefferson Street in Napa over the past few days? Check the account: It's possible your card was "skimmed" by a device that was discovered Wednesday, police said.

Motorists who used credit cards to buy gas at a Napa station over a three-day period earlier this week may have been exposed to criminal activity, according to a bulletin from the City of Napa Police Department:

On 11-28-2012 an employee for Conserve Fuel at 3001 Jefferson St, called to report credit card skimming device was placed on one of their credit card machine.

Officers learned that on 11-26-2012 unit #2 was having problems with the credit card reader and was placed out of service.

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On 11-28-2012, a Conserve Fuel employee contacted a service technician to check the machine. On 11-28-2012, the technician examined the credit card reader and discovered a skimming device attached to it.

The skimming device is attached internally to the machine and records credit card numbers for later retrieval and use by the suspect(s).

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Conserve Fuel believes the machine stopped working after the device was connected, but cannot be sure. It is unknown if there are any fraud victims at this time.  

The service technician removed the skimmer and placed the unit back into operation.

If anyone used a credit card reader at Conserve Fuel between the dates of 11-26-2012 and 11-28-2012, they should check with their credit card company for any unusual activity. If anyone learns their credit card has been compromised, they should contact the Napa Police Department immediately.

City of Napa Police Department, 1539 1st St, Napa, CA 94559, (707) 257-9223

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