Card skimmers strike Walnut Creek gas pumps

Credit card skimmers were found at two different gas stations in Walnut Creek, and police are advising drivers to watch their bank accounts closely for any suspicious activity.

The first skimmer was found by a Chevron attendant at the gas station on Ygnacio Valley Road and N. Main Street Tuesday morning. The following day — about a quarter-mile down the road — an attendant at a Valero station on Ygnacio Valley Road and N. Broadway Street found another skimmer.

A credit card skimmer is a device that reads and stores credit and debit card information. The device is usually tacked on somehow above the card reader and can be affixed and removed in a quick manner.

After customers unknowingly feed their cards through the skimmers, thieves can retrieve the card information to make illicit purchases.

Both devices have been removed from the pumps and surveillance footage from both stations is being reviewed by the police.

Police don’t know whether other skimmers have been planted in other Bay Area stations and are warning drivers to remain cautious. Signs of a skimmer include broken or suspicious-looking plastic, open doors on the pump or exposed wires.