Harris County constable falls prey to gas pump skimmer scam

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Harris County constable is warning others of gas pump skimming that may be going on around the Houston area.

"Gas pump skimming can happen to anyone, and we all need to pay attention," Pct. 1 Constable Alan Rosen said.

Constable Rosen says he only uses one credit card for gas, and was notified over the weekend of some suspicious activity.

The constable stopped by a gas station in southwest Houston to point out the location where his card was compromised.

Stickers placed near the pumps, meant to be an extra layer of protection, were not doing their jobs, Rosen said.

"It's still not actually fixed right. If I can still do this, and it doesn't break, then it's still not fixed properly," Rosen said.

He says people at the pump need to pay close attention to the machine before putting in a credit card.

Stickers should not be able to easily come off, and the credit card hardware should be firmly fixed to the machine.

Rosen says do not put your card in anything that may look suspect, but instead, call the attendant on duty.

"I think the store has to come out and monitor their own equipment multiple times a day. They have people where that's their job to make sure the pumps are working effectively," said Rosen.