Brown County deputies continue to receive reports of compromised credit cards after finding credit card skimming devices hidden in gas pumps.
Investigator for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office Damian Bahr says officers found two skimmers Friday. Bahr received 14 reports of stolen credit card information by Tuesday morning.
He says more reports could come. The largest number of reports came Monday.
Bahr will not say which station had the skimmers. Officers found them in one Brown County community Friday but he says the devices could have been moved to different locations before being found.
This case adds to another in the area last year when Aberdeen police found a skimmer hidden in a pump.
"It's been very prevalent in Minnesota and in the last few months we've seen it spill over into our neck of the woods," Aberdeen Police Captain Eric Duven said.
In the Aberdeen case, police released pictures of the technology and suspects in November but the investigation is ongoing.
Reports of skimmers in pumps continue to pop up around the country, which is one reason Duven was not surprised to see the crime return to the area.
"It may not be the last,” Duven said. “However, I know area gas stations are in the process of upgrading the security of their pumps and also upgrading video surveillance, so we hope to deter any further efforts in the future."
Aberdeen officers visited every gas station in town after finding a skimming device last year. Bahr says the Brown County Sheriff’s Office has been in contact with stations in the county after last week’s find. He has also talked with neighboring law enforcement agencies.
"There's always someone looking for a new way to take someone else's money," Day County Sheriff Barry Hillestad said.
Hillestad also serves as president of the South Dakota Sheriffs’ Association. When law enforcement and gas stations get ahead of the skimmer issue, he is sure something else will surface. Statewide, he says training, intelligence sharing and resource assistance all play a part in combating whatever comes.
"The bad guys are finding ways to use technology every day so that makes it imperative on our part to take advantage of technological resources and training just to stay ahead of the game," Hillestad said.