VCSO Collaborates With The State To Stop Crime At The Pump

Posted

Volusia County, FL – Recently, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to check gas pumps throughout the county for credit card skimmers.

While nothing turned up in Volusia County this time, there were 8 skimming devices found throughout the state and at least 6 have been found previously in the county within the last year.

Sherriff Mike Chitwood wants citizens to be aware of these devices even if nothing turns up in regular searches. “We’re using all of the resources at our disposal to stay ahead of crime trends and protect our residents and visitors,” says Chitwood. “We’re going to continue working with the state and our other law enforcement partners to try to put an end to these scams that are victimizing the public.”

Adam H. Putnam, the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, who is teaming up with the VCSO, said, “We will continue to crack down on these devices – and the criminals responsible for them.”

A priority for the VSCO and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is to educate residents and give them tips on how to lower the risk of being scammed at the pump. They recommend for individuals to inspect the pumps themselves to look for signs of tampering, check for loose parts, see if the tamper sticker is broken, and to only use the busiest and closest pumps to the store.

Photos courtesy Volusia.org/Sheriff.

Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2017.