Pleasanton PD receives new tool to fight credit card skimmers




The Pleasanton Police Department was given this new skimmer device by the Alamo Area Council of Governments to tell whether or not a credit card skimmer has been installed at payment terminals like gas pumps or ATMs. SAM FOLWER | PLEASANTON EXPRESS

The Pleasanton Police Department was given this new skimmer device by the Alamo Area Council of Governments to tell whether or not a credit card skimmer has been installed at payment terminals like gas pumps or ATMs. SAM FOLWER | PLEASANTON EXPRESS

The Pleasanton Police Department has a new tool to combat credit card skimmers frequently found at gas pumps and ATMs.

On Thursday, April 30, the Alamo Area Council of Governments presented the department with a new skimmer device that can tell whether or not a credit card skimmer has been installed anywhere you pay by card. Pleasanton was one of 65 police departments around the San Antonio area to receive the device.

“We would like to express our appreciation to AACOG for presenting us with this device that is used to detect the presence of unlawfully planted credit card skimmers in gas pumps and other locations with card readers,” Pleasanton Police Chief Ronald Sanchez said. “Those who have had their cards hacked in the past can tell you how much of an inconvenience it can be. As always, our goal is to provide better services to protect our citizens.”

The new device was part of a $200,000 grant to the AACOG from the Texas Department of Agriculture.

“We’re seeing these skimmers appear more frequently across our 13-county region and it’s imperative we continue raising the awareness of our vulnerability when using stand-alone payment terminals,” AACOG Academy Program Manager David Campos said. “This is a crime that can be prevented with proper training and we hope to save our residents from a lot of heartache through these initiatives.”

The AACOG Law Enforcement Academy provides training courses online and in person for devices like this. In a release, the council said they’re now aiming to educate the public with the same courses they provide Law Enforcement.

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