Blue tooth skimmers allow the bad guys to collect your credit and debit card information remotely. We asked state inspector Sean McGrail to try out the Skim Plus, a bluetooth detecting app.
We followed McGrail and his team around to three gas stations as they examined each pump for foreign devices.
State inspectors discovered 45 skimmers in just the first 25 days of January in spite of tightened security at the pump. They do not utilize technology like Skim Plus and other similar apps to aid with detection. Why? Because the apps don’t catch every skimmer.
And with some skimming thieves turning to devices that actually text your card number there's no Bluetooth to detect. But for consumers and store owners like Malak Elarroufe, the free app provides an extra set of wireless eyes.
The Skim Plus app free basic version is only available for Android phones.
State inspectors say the University of Florida is working to develop technology reliable enough for law enforcement use. But for now they'll go through every pump by hand.
