News

Jun 21, 2023

Credit card skimmer at Walmart store could steal numbers and send it anywhere

New York State Police released this photo of a credit card skimming device found at a Walmart store in Granby, Oswego County. The device is identical to the card reader itself, including the logo at

New York State Police released this photo of a credit card skimming device found at a Walmart store in Granby, Oswego County. The device is identical to the card reader itself, including the logo at the top, police said.

Syracuse, N.Y. — A credit card skimmer placed at a local Walmart — one of many secretly installed at local Walmart stores — had the capability of sending information to criminals remotely, according to the State Police.

That means any card information collected by the skimmer over the four days it was installed could be sent anywhere, according to two experts.

So far, the skimmers have been confirmed to be found at 13 Walmart stores in Central New York and nearby areas, according to police agencies. There could be more stores hit, but Walmart officials are not releasing the locations of any stores where criminals installed the skimmers nor are they answering questions.

Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard has confirmed with the State Police that the device found in the Fulton store was wireless. It could be accessed remotely, said Trooper Jack Keller, a spokesperson for the state police.

Police have said the devices at the Walmart stores appear to have been secretly installed by the same suspects. That means it is highly likely that all the skimmers are similar and able to send information remotely.

The skimmers put into the Walmart stores were all designed to look exactly like the credit card reader used in the stores, right down to the name of the company that makes them.

There are two main types of skimmers: ones capable of sending information to other devices and others that store the information in hard drives that will have to be retrieved later, said David Weber, professor of the practice at Salisbury University and a graduate of Syracuse University. Weber teaches hands-on forensic accounting to students and previously worked as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s chief investigator.

Cell-enabled devices can send stolen data through text messages to pretty much anywhere, said Samantha Baltzersen, who supervises the FBI’s cyber team at the agency’s Albany office. The FBI is not currently investigating the skimmers recently found in Central New York.

Bluetooth-enabled skimmers allow scammers to collect card information nearby, around 30 feet or so from the device, she said.

Skimmers come in different shapes and sizes and are typically made by a small group that specializes in coding them and putting them together, Baltzersen said. Some can be placed inside ATMs, others simply cover over credit card readers.

The skimmers collect information from someone’s card and then the suspects can use that info for purchases or to make cards that look real. What they’re particularly interested in is anyone’s debit card pin, Weber said.

“That pin is the holy grail,” he said.

Having the pin allows skimmers to make larger purchases and debit cards have less protection from fraudulent purchases, Weber said.

“The existence of the pin allows an easier and more functional ability to defraud and to defraud larger amounts,” Weber said.

The run of Central New York Walmart stores being targeted is somewhat interesting, Baltzersen said, because of how the same kind of store is being targeted within the same area and during daylight hours.

“That’s pretty unusual,” Baltzersen said. “Most of the time, skimmers are looking for off-times, quiet times to put these devices in places when it’s not in view of business representatives and stuff like that.”

Baltzersen said the criminals using skimmers typically work in groups and will target an area before moving on to another. The hope is that the next area won’t be as familiar with the scam, she said.

Auburn Police are seeking the public's help to identify three people suspected of installing credit card skimming devices at Walmart locations in the region. This photo shows the suspects installing the device. (Provided by Auburn Police)

With the same three suspects seen at many of the stores, it is likely one of them worked at Walmart at some point, Weber said.

“They’re comfortable with the organization, they know the organization, they’re familiar with the surveillance within the organization,” he said.

Baltzersen said skimming scams happen fairly frequently. According to some estimates she has seen, millions of dollars are stolen each year in the U.S. from them.

Charges from copied cards will appear normal on bank statements, Baltzersen said. To avoid being scammed, she said to use a card’s chip instead of swiping.

Even better, use the tap feature or Apple Pay or Google Pay, which encrypts card data, Baltzersen said.

While some skimmers are capable of collecting information from transactions where a chip is used, there are fewer of those devices and it can be more difficult to collect that data, Baltzersen said.

***

Walmart stores hit

These are the Walmart stores police agencies have said had skimmers secretly installed, mostly between July 2 and July 5. There could be more stores hit, but Walmart officials refuse to release what stores were targeted. (Note the list includes the checkout lane number where available.)

How to contact Walmart

A Walmart spokesperson said customers concerned they may have been impacted by the skimmers should contact their card provider or Walmart Customer Care Team at 800-925-6278.

More on credit card skimmers at Walmart stores

How to avoid becoming a victim of credit card skimmers like those found at CNY Walmarts

Update: Credit card skimmers now found at 11 Walmart stores in Central NY, Upstate New York

See what credit card skimmer found at Central NY Walmarts looks like; 2 more stores identified

The questions Walmart refuses to answer about credit card skimmers found at 5 Central NY stores

Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Reach her at 315-396-5961, on Twitter @kirk_rylee, or [email protected].

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.