Several customers at a 7-Eleven location in Etna have reported fraudulent charges on their accounts after a card skimmer was found Monday on one of the store’s registers.
Etna police Chief Tim Rodman said his department has received fraud reports from six residents so far, though it is likely more have been affected. The 7-Eleven, which Rodman said is cooperating with police, is located at 22 Grant Ave.
The scam was discovered by a 35-year-old Etna resident when she noticed fraudulent charges on her SNAP benefits account. Returning to the 7-Eleven, she and an Etna police officer discovered a skimmer on a register which resembled the face of a standard credit card reader.
The resident said she was scammed for close to $900, which she does not expect to recoup since the state stopped reimbursing SNAP scam victims in December.
One of the users who withdrew money from her account was listed as “Carniceria y Fru,” she said.
Shaler resident April Kratochvila said that same name also fraudulently withdrew money from her SNAP account.
She said another user, “Hidalgo Fruteria,” also had scammed her and her mother of several hundred dollars in benefits, which she said was food out of her children’s mouths.
The skimmer, Rodman said, likely was on the register for more than a month. As of now, the chief said Etna police do not have a suspect but are actively investigating.
If 7-Eleven customers notice fraudulent charges on their accounts, Rodman said they should immediately file a police report.