Card skimming devices found at 7-Eleven locations in Boston

Police are warning of the dangers of card skimming devices after multiple card skimming devices were found at a convenience store in Boston this week.

card skimming Devices are often used to steal personal information when victims use their business credit and debit cards. They are installed in card readers and collect information when people go to pay for shopping. Criminals recover saved information from devices in order to make fraudulent purchases.

Some skimming devices use a small camera to record a victim entering a PIN number, while others emulate a keypad to obtain the PIN number. Others target the card number itself rather than the PIN number.

Skimming devices were found at two 7-Eleven stores at 532 Commonwealth Avenue in Kenmore Square and 509 Cambridge Street in Allston. The overlay device used was identified by police to be an Ingenico ISC Touch 250. This can be identified by the extended keypad area below zero.

Additional skimming devices may be found in Boston and nearby communities, police said. These particular devices capture both the card number and his PIN number, allowing criminals to create “cloned” cards that can be used to initiate cash withdrawals from bank accounts. Boston police continue to investigate and are working with federal authorities to process the device and identify suspects.

Skimming devices can be installed on ATM or POS terminals.of FBI has a tip Learn how to spot and avoid skimming devices.