The Evansville Police Department (EPD) is investigating a crime ring operating in Evansville which uses stolen credit card information to purchase diesel fuel at local gas stations.
Police began investigating a series of fraudulent credit card purchases on Dec. 29.
The EPD was notified that over two months, three suspects used stolen cards 42 times to buy $8,000 dollars in diesel fuel which they believe was taken and sold to customers elsewhere.
Det. Nathan VanCleave is on the Financial Crimes Unit of the EPD. He said the gas station was tipped off when charges started coming back to them because the legitimate card owner was claiming fraud.
“This is the first case that we've had where the stolen credit card information from supposedly skimmers here in Evansville, and so (we were) able to catch them on that end,” he said.
On Jan. 1, station attendants called the police when they recognized an individual pumping gas who was spotted on prior surveillance footage using a stolen card.
Police arrived and questioned the non-local individual, identified as Lazaro Oulego Gonzalez.
They found a large bladder for storing diesel fuel beneath a toolbox. He was arrested, though he said he "found" the gift card he was using.
Gonzalez is the only arrest so far and has four felony charges — theft, forgery, fraud and conspiracy.
Police think this organized theft ring was using skimmers to steal credit card data, which they applied to blank cards with which they made fraudulent purchases.
VanCleave said skimmed credit cards are usually used at the gas pump — especially those with obsolete technology.
“ … meaning they don't have the chip reader or tap-to-pay that allows them to use basic cards embedded with that stolen credit card information at the pump without an attendant there and being able to bypass security measures.”
VanCleave said such crimes are always evolving along with technology.
“It's a cat-and-mouse game between the credit card companies, law enforcement and the criminals themselves.”
A safer way to avoid skimmers is to pay inside the gas station. You can also make sure there is still anti-tamper tape across the door to the card reader panel.
The card information could have been purchased on the “dark web,” but they believe card skimmers were used when a customer swiped their card at a gas pump.
“So if you're using a chip or a tap to pay, you're generally going to be much safer,” VanCleave said.
The police are asking anyone with information on the other suspects to contact the EPD Financial Crimes Unit at (812) 436-7959.