SUNNYVALE — Two men from Southern California were arrested early Friday after allegedly trying to install electronic skimming equipment designed to steal credit card information from a gas pump in Sunnyvale, authorities said.

The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety was called at 11:59 p.m. Thursday with a report that two people were tampering with a pump at the World Gas Station on West Maude Avenue.

Responding officers located the suspects a short time later and determined that they had been trying to sabotage a gas pump with a device known as a card skimmer, which lifts customers’ financial information from credit cards they use to pay for gas.

Police said they arrested Artashes Gasparyan, 27, of Glendale, and Richard Matthew Hernandez, 32, of Rialto, on suspicion of conspiracy, possessing burglary tools, unauthorized computer access, and possessing a skimming device. Hernandez was arrested hours after his birthday.

Officers also impounded the suspects’ car and are reviewing items they recovered from the crime scene and vehicle “to determine the full extent of their criminal activity.”

Police recommend that anyone who believes they might be a victim of the skimming scheme contact their financial institutions immediately to head off any losses from unauthorized use of their credit cards. Anyone with information about the case can contact Sunnyvale detectives at 408-730-7101.