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WEBVTT IT'S THE END OF THE MONTH ANDTIME TO PAY BILLS.>> I HAVE TO MAKE MY HOUSErtPAYMENT.WALTER: SO WHEN SANTOS MARTINEZOF EAST SACRAMENTO SAT DOWN TOWRITE OUT THE CHECK, HE COULDN'TBELIEVE HIS EYES.>> I REALIZED I GOT TAKEN.HIS BANK ACCOUNT HAD BEEN WIPEDOUrtI WAS GOING TO PAY MY BILLS ANDWHEN I LOOKED, THERE WAS A DEBrtFROM THIS PUMP.>> I CANCELLED MY CARD.rtWALTER: CARRIE RELLES' CARD WASUSED AT THREE DIFFERENT ATMMACHINES IN ROSEVILLE BUT IT WASSTILL IN HER PURSE.SHE CHECKED HER STATEMENT AND.>>rt MY HUSBAND'S CARD HAD BEENUSED IN STOCKTON AT THE POSTOFFICE FOR A FEW THOUSANDDOLLARS.WALTER AND THEN HER NEIGHBOR: ACROSS THE STREET HAD ASIMILAR PROBLEM.rt>> I NOTICED A CHARGE THAT IDIDN'T DO, SO I CALLE DMY BANK.AFTER COMPARING THEIRTRANSACTIONS THEY FIGURED OUT,THEY ALL USED THEIR CARDS AT ONEPLACE, THE STOP AND SHOP.rt>> THEY BROKE INTO OUR PUMPSOUTSIDE AND THEY INSERTED THESECARD SKIMMERS WHICH TAKE YOURCREDIT CARD INFORMATION AND PINNUMBER INFORMATION.rtWALTER: THE INFORMATION IS THENWIRELESSLY SENT TO ANOTHERLOCATION.YOUR CARD IS THEN DUPLICATED,AND SOMEONE CAN WALK INSOMEWHERE WITH IT AND SPEND YOURMONEY.rtTHE OWNER HAD A TECHNICIAN COMEOUT THIS MORNING TO CHECK OUTHIS GAS PUMPS.THERE WERE 4 SKIMMERS.>> WE GAVE THEM TO THE POLICErtDEPARTMENT AND EVERYTHING ISCLEAR ON THE PUMPS.WALTER: THE OWNER SAYS HISFAMILY HAS OWNED THIS STATIONFOR 28 YEARS AND THEIR CUSTOMERSARE LIKE FAMILY TO THEM.SO HE'S SAD TO SEE SO MANYrt

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More than a dozen people were victims of a card skimming scam in Sacramento.Thieves attached skimming devices to card machines on gas pumps at the Stop and Shop station on the corner of 35th Street and Folsom Boulevard. “They broke into our pumps outside and they inserted these card skimmers, which take your credit card information and PIN number information,” gas station owner Nav Sidhu said.The card information is then wirelessly sent to another location where it is duplicated. The thieves can then start spending. Victims of the card skimmers said money was taken out of their bank accounts.Santos Martinez said he saw Thursday that his bank account was wiped out.“I was going to pay my bills and when I looked, there was a debit for $505.95 and $2,500.04 from (a Stop and Shop) pump," he said.East Sacramento resident Carrie Relles said her card was used at three different ATMs in Roseville – but her card was still in her purse. When she checked her bank statement again, she found more missing money."My husband’s card had been used in Stockton at the post office for a few thousand dollars,” she added.Sidhu said a technician come out Thursday morning to check the gas pumps and found four skimmers. “We gave (the skimmers) to the police department and everything is clear on the pumps," he said.It might not be possible to totally avoid a debit card skimming scam, but you can take some precautionary steps to protect your information:Pay inside instead of at the gas pumpUse cash instead of your debit cardIf you must use a card, make sure it's a credit card instead of a debit card. That way if your card is hacked, your bank account won't be drained, and credit card companies can more easily reverse the fraudulent charges.