A state inspector found credit card skimmers — illegal devices used to steal banking information — on pumps at a Centralia gas station Tuesday, according to the Centralia Police Department.
The discovery was reported to the department at 12:13 p.m. Tuesday at the Chevron station in the 1200 block of Mellen Street.
The devices were discovered by an inspector with the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Weights and Measures Program, which monitors fuel stations.
Centralia Police Officer Angie Humphrey said the inspector reported finding three sets of skimmers on pumps in Lewis County since December.
The skimmers fit on the pumps’ existing credit card readers and can be installed very quickly, Humphrey said. No suspects have been identified at this time and police don’t yet know how long the skimmers were in place.
“Unless you know what you’re looking for, it looks normal,” she said.
Humphrey said the owner of the gas station plans to add more security measures.
Possible victims should contact their credit card company and the Centralia Police Department at 360-330-7680.
