HOUSTON – A Houston man is warning ATM users to be cautious after he found a skimmer inside the card reader of a gas station ATM in northwest Houston.
It happened Thursday at the Raceway near West Tidwell and Bingle. Derrick Hollman went to use the ATM outside the station, but since he's aware of skimmer scams, he shook the card reader before swiping his card and punching in any numbers.
A green skimmer fell right out of the reader.
"It was shocking to actually find one," Hollman said.
He immediately warned the woman who had used the ATM before him, and then went inside the gas station to inform the cashier.
"I was shocked. It was the first time I ever saw a skimmer," cashier Aditya Pradhan said.
Unfortunately, the scam is common in the Houston area.
"These crooks are pretty slick," Hollman said. "Whenever they come up, it just looks like they're using the ATM."
He's hoping his discovery urges others to be cautious when using ATM machines.
"If everyone commits to being cautious and checking, then this will go away," Hollman said.
The Houston Police Department is investigating the incident at the Raceway. At this point, it is not clear how long the skimmer was on the card reader.