HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – On November 6, 2020, detectives with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Economic Crimes Unit, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, conducted a countywide Fuel Pump Skimmer Sweep. During this operation, all of Hernando County’s retail fueling stations were carefully inspected for the presence of illegal fuel pump skimmers. At the conclusion of the operation, two skimming devices were located.
Detectives specializing in fuel pump skimming investigations were immediately on scene processing the evidence and working to identify the person(s) involved in placing the devices as well as if any breach of cardholder information had taken place. The investigation of the found skimming devices is on-going.
Although only two fueling stations were found with skimming devices within Hernando County, many fueling stations continue to be vulnerable to these surreptitiously attached devices. As a result, fueling stations are upgrading their pumps with encrypted card readers, enhancing location surveillance, and implementing daily pump security checks in order to better protect consumers.
Knowing that the holidays are a time of heavy travel, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office continues to make these skimmer sweeps a priority in an effort to keep our citizens safe, both personally and financially. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for collaborating with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office in these efforts.