Where the most card skimmers have been found in Houston so far in 2018

PHOTOS: Where the most credit card skimmers have been found in Houston in 2018 A Texas Department of Agriculture inspector holds up a gas pump skimmer, which are used to extract credit card information. Local and federal investigators say skimming is a major problem in Houston, and the Agriculture Department wants to become the central clearinghouse for all skimmer data in Texas. >>> See where the most skimmers have been found in Houston less A Texas Department of Agriculture inspector holds up a gas pump skimmer, which are used to extract credit card information. Local and federal investigators say skimming is a major problem in Houston, and the Agriculture Department wants to become the central clearinghouse for all skimmer data in Texas. PHOTOS: Where the most credit card skimmers have been found in Houston in 2018 A Texas Department of Agriculture inspector holds up a gas pump skimmer, which are used to extract credit card information. Local A Texas Department of Agriculture inspector holds up a gas pump skimmer, which are used to extract credit card information. Local ... more Photo: Texas Department Of Agriculture Photo: Texas Department Of Agriculture Image 1 of / 50 Caption Close Where the most card skimmers have been found in Houston so far in 2018 1 / 50 Back to Gallery

The prevalence of credit card skimmers in the Houston area is difficult to pin down without cohesive data from city, county and federal agencies.

However, amid a push from the Texas Department of Agriculture to improve skimming data, Chron.com obtained a list of all the skimmers found in Houston so far in 2018.

RELATED: Three credit card skimmers found at a gas station at Chevron in Katy

Houston police filed 141 cases where at least one skimmer was found this year, the data shows. Most locations with at least two skimmers were located on the city's west side, and the overwhelming majority of those cases originated from Valero gas stations.

Valero representatives did not return a call requesting comment.

Federal and county investigators in the Houston area say gas pumps are the preferred medium for people who plant skimmers. The pumps offer a way for people to place the skimmer inside the machine, whereas most ATMs require some type of physical attachment to the exterior, said Harris County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Joshua Nowitz.

RELATED: How to spot card skimmers on ATMs

When it comes to the Houston police data, department spokeswoman Jodi Silva highlighted one major caveat.

Not all skimmers were active or inside gas pumps when police investigated the incident, she said. Police officers may have found the devices when they were investigating a separate incident.

For example, Houston police found a skimmer at Time Zone Smoke Shop in June while investigating a report of misdemeanor drug possession, records show. In another case, officers found a skimmer while taking inventory of a car from an auto theft report.

Click through the slideshow above to see where the most skimmers have been reported in Houston.

At HoustonChronicle.com, gasoline industry experts and criminal investigators describe Houston as a hotbed for skimming in the country.

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message