New Card Skimmer Found at Grand Rapids Gas Station

State inspectors have found another card skimming device at a West Michigan gas station.

WZZM-13 reports that a device intended to steal credit and debit card information was found at the Shell station on the corner of 28th Street and East Paris on Saturday, October 3. 

This is following the discovery of at least 12 other card skimmers across the state within the past month, most in West Michigan.

According to WZZM-13, five people were charged in September in connection with card skimming.

Officials don't know at this time if the latest finding is connected to the previous operation.

Jennifer Holton, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Agriculture, says that despite these incidents, most gas pumps in West Michigan are still safe.

So how do you protect yourself at the pump? Here are some tips from the Better Business Bureau:

• Pay inside the gas station if possible.
• If you do pay at the pump, try to get gas within view of the cashier. Skimmers usually go for pumps out of sight of people and cameras.
• Check out  the the pump and your surroundings. If something looks tampered with, if the keypad on your pump doesn't match others around it, if the keypad or credit card insert jiggles or moves, or anything else seems amiss, move on.
• Monitor your accounts for unusual activity often.