Card skimmers found at Shell station

Laguna Beach police are alerting gasoline customers that three credit card skimming machines have been found at the Shell Station at 1342 N. Coast Hwy. since July 1, police Sgt. Louise Callus said.

The first card scanner was found July 23 and two more have been discovered at the location since that time, she said.

“At this point, we have only had 11 people tell Shell that they had used that particular pump but we only have one victim that has had the credit card compromised,” Callus said.

“We know that this is not isolated to Laguna and that Irvine has had several [incidents] and there have been several other locations throughout the county,” she added.

“Anyone who has used that gasoline station since July 1 should be checking their account for fraudulent charges and also contacting the credit card company to close the account.”

Station Manager Frank Patterson said the skimmers have been showing up over the past three weeks and that this kind of activity has not occurred at the station before.

“We check the pumps three times a day” for card skimmers, he said. “We check them in the morning when we open, and at noon and at night.”

Patterson said he believes the skimmers are placed on the pumps when the station is closed.