THOUSANDS of Walmart shoppers across four states have had their credit card information stolen by skimming devices, according to police.
Janos Rigo, Mercea Barzecu and a third unidentified suspect are accused of putting credit card skimmer “overlays” on credit card machines in multiple Walmart stores in Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Al least 15 skimming devices collectively “had access to at least 7,873 personal credit card numbers, gift card numbers and debit card numbers” according to official documents reviewed by 9Wants to Know.
The stolen information was reportedly wirelessly transmitted through the devices' Bluetooth, per Walmart's internal review.
The US Secret Service is looking into the case.
Rigo and Barzecu were arrested in Colorado, where they had allegedly gone into two Walmart locations and tried using multiple counterfeit access devices.
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"Law enforcement surveillance observed them travel to several other retail stores and ATM machines and use or attempt to use access devices,” said a Secret Service agent cited in official records.
It's unclear if the third unidentified suspect has been apprehended.
Overlay skimmers mimic credit card machines in order to obtain someone's name, credit card number, and expiration date.
According to experts, you can spot these devices with a quick visual and physical inspection of a card reader before swiping or inserting your payment card.
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Skimmers are most commonly found at ATMs and gas stations, Forbes reported.
When using an ATM or gas pump you should be on the lookout for alignment issues between the card reader and the panel underneath it.
If you're suspicious of what you see, compare the card reader to others nearby.
Other methods used to steal financial information include cameras in ATMs and fake ATM keypads.
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