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Chattanooga police said Friday credit card skimmers recently were found at two Mapco stations, at 8604 Hickory Valley Road and at Gadd Road.

The skimmers were found Jan. 25. "Unlike previous advisories these devices are placed inside the pump itself instead of on the outside of the machine," according to a police news release.

Skimmers read and record account information, leaving users vulnerable to identity theft.

Police said there are several ways to protect yourself:

If anti-tampering seal is broken contact store management immediately and don't use the machine

Use debit cards as credit. Since credit option doesn't require a PIN the purchaser has more protection.

Cover the keys while entering your debit/credit password

Monitor your account(s) daily online and report fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately

Ask your financial institution to pair geolocation software with your card. This feature tracks location of both your card and phone.

Make payments inside with cashier.