GREENSBORO, N.C. — Two Greensboro consumers called us at separate times about separate issues they had experienced at local gas stations this week.
First, Charles Wright told us he suspected a device may have been on a reader at the Circle K station on West Lee Street. He said his card was declined twice when he tried to pay for his fuel. Later, he got a transaction notification for $73 dollars and then about $50 dollars.
Then Donna Onos called and said she tried to get gas at a Shell station on West Gate City Blvd near the Coliseum the day before. She says she was charged $14.89 at the station, though no gas ever came out of the pump. She checked her account and found a $125 charge on her statement. The store manager told her he couldn't do anything and recommended she call corporate. But Shell told her the station was independently owned, so it was something out of their control.
The Greensboro Police Department told us in cases like these it's important to file a police report if you are concerned about the safety of your account and identity.
Steve Benjamin, director of the Standards Division of the State Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, says this could be one of three different scenarios.
He said card skimmers can never be ruled out. Physical skimmers or Bluetooth devices are place inside card readers that make copies of the information on your card. Benjamin says the best way to avoid that would be running a credit card rather than a debit card. As soon as you type your debit card's PIN, the skimmer has direct access to your account and personal information.
The second scenario could be a case of a hold placed by your bank to your debit card due so the merchant can make sure they are getting paid for what you purchased. It's like insurance. Holds are generally lifted after a period of time, but Benjamin says this is something you'll have to work directly with your bank to resolve.
Lastly, there's something called a 'meter creep' -- it's when mechanical issues with the pumping device affect the fueling process. That means the meter will run, but no fuel will be dispensed. In a case like that, you can notify a pump employee or the Standards Division so they get an inspector as soon as possible to fix the issue.
