Credit card skimmer found on self-checkout machine at local gas station

BEAVERCREEK — New warnings about credit card skimmers popping up in the Miami Valley.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

As reported on News Center 7 at 5:30, they are hard to notice but a device can take your personal financial information in just one swipe.

TRENDING STORIES:

• People ‘missing, trapped’ after large explosion at plant
• Ohio AMBER Alert suspect shot dead by officers after chase; girl found safe
• 2 dead after shooting at Dayton apartment complex

It can take seconds to put on a checkout machine but weeks to notice.

“They do look pretty deceitful. They’re blended pretty well,” Jason Elting of Beavercreek said.

Elting lives down the road from the gas station. News Center 7′s Mason Fletcher asked him if it makes him more wary about shopping.

“A little bit, but I try to be safe with my credit card anyway, don’t use my debit card. Just use a credit card and watch it. Make sure nothing fraudulent shows up,” Elting said.

Kraig Hagler, Greene County Auditor, shared how shoppers can protect themselves from exposing their information.

“I use my Apple wallet to make most of my purchases. It doesn’t expose your actual credit card number. It creates a unique number for that one-time purchase. Makes it really hard for someone to get your actual account information to take advantage of you,” Hagler said.

He added if you don’t have Apple Pay a credit card is safer than a debit card because it isn’t linked to your crash.

But even before the purchase, there are some things shoppers should look out for.

“If it’s an older establishment, but all of a sudden has a new credit card processor and the other ones still look out of date or old that should raise a red flag. So you have to be aware. ” Hagler said.

We will continue to follow this story.

[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]