PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A dozen gas skimmers have been found on gas pumps at seven different gas stations in Pasco County.
On December 12, 2018, the Economic Crimes Unit, with assistance from the Department of Agriculture conducted gas pump checks to locate credit and debit card skimmers on gas pumps at gas stations throughout Pasco County.
Detectives say the skimmers they found were located deep in the machines.
"I have no idea how they continue to keep doing it, and you would think that the establishment owner would be checking their pumps maybe like a daily procedure or a process they go through to make sure some of these things aren’t happening," Christy Sizemore, a New Port Richey resident.
Detectives say gas station are not required by law to check for skimmers. Many of the managers at the stations where skimmers were found said they hadn’t checked their pumps in weeks if not months, so it’s hard to say how long the skimmers were in place. Detectives want gas stations to take some initiative in fixing the problem
"I understand that it might be difficult for just a normal employee to go outside but there’s a manager there every single day, and the manager needs to check those pumps every single day," said Shawn Rozankowski, Pasco County Sheriff’s Detective.
RELATED | Interactive map: Gas pump skimmers found in Tampa Bay in 2018
Officials checked 151 gas stations countywide and found 12 skimmers at the following locations:
- On the Fly BP: 1068 US Alternate Highway 19, Holiday - one (1) skimmer located
- Citgo 52: 7820 SR 52, Hudson - three (3) skimmers located
- Jasmine Food & Gas: 10461 US Highway 19, Port Richey - one (1) skimmer located
- 7-Eleven #32738: 18934 US Highway 19, Hudson - one (1) skimmer located
- BP: 6444 Massachusetts Avenue, New Port Richey - four (4) skimmers located
- 7-Eleven #17223: 6001 Trouble Creek Road, New Port Richey - one (1) skimmer located
- Top King Food Mart/Chevron: 11744 Fort King Road, Dade City - one (1) skimmer located
