Credit card skimmers found at Sarasota gas station

SARASOTA, Fla. - Two credit card skimmers were found at a Sarasota gas station over the weekend.

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said the skimming devices were found inside two gas pumps at a 7-11/Mobile located in the 5000 block of Fruitville Rd.

Employees first noticed the broken security seal Saturday afternoon while emptying the trash, deputies said. The employees notified the fueling company which sent out a service tech Sunday who discovered and removed the skimmers.

They used blue-tooth technology.  "Just like your phone works, you can hook it up to a device it's registered to and just go to somewhere close to the pump and gather that information," said Lt. Joe Giasone, with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

That information means crooks have access to your hard earned money.

The devices were removed Sunday after being secretly installed.  Deputies believe they'd there for about two weeks.

"It is disconcerting. Who wants to get stolen from, at any point in time," said driver Todd Flagg.

It's a problem drivers have had to deal with a lot as of late.  Sarasota police found skimmers on at least two different occasions last month.  They even did a sweep of local gas stations hunting for more.

"These skimmers there inside the pump so you can't see them, and if somebody looks at the pump and doesn't know what you're looking for it might look like electronics on the pump," said Lt. Giasone.

One thing you can look for is a broken sticker on the pump, that could indicate a skimmer has been installed.

Deputies want to urge anyone who has purchased gas at this location to check their bank statements for suspicious transactions.

Anyone with information about the skimming devices should call: 941-861-4900 or contact Crime Stoppers of Sarasota County at: 941-366-TIPS (8477).