Furthermore, authorities are warning potential victims that the criminals will quickly use their newly acquired credit cards or cash just minutes after they commit the crime. A woman reported that, after falling victim to sliders, they’d used $600 of her credit card within 20 minutes.
Luckily, authorities have also noted that these criminals do not seem to be violent towards their victims. “They’re not looking for a confrontation. They just want the property because they know it’s being left abandoned, and you’re not paying enough attention,” Houston police officer Jim Woods explained.
Thankfully, in addition to warning the public at large of the possibility that they could be victimized by sliders, police officers are also giving people ways to protect themselves. The number one precaution being for people to lock their doors and roll up their windows.
Unfortunately, sliding isn’t the only crime that criminals are using to target gas station customers. There’s also another trend called “skimming.” That’s what happens when a thief places their own electronic device over a gas pump credit card machine. This uploads your card information to their device, where they can begin to use it freely.
U.S. Secret Service Criminal Investigation Division employee Chris Gagne explained that the devices are made to look similar to gasoline pump car readers. “They can breach the gas pump and install [a device], and they can be there for weeks or months without being discovered.”
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