Did you get gas at this station? You may want to check your bank account, cops say

Members of the Sarasota Police Department Street Crimes Unit, in partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture, conducted a routine inspection of gas station pumps in the city and found two credit card skimmers at one location.

According to the police department, the devices were found Wednesday morning at the Citgo station located at 3580 Fruitiville Road. The devices were located in pump No. 1 and pump No. 3.

Police say the devices were removed and collected for evidence but could not say how long the skimmers were in place at this time.

Every gas station within the city limits — 17 of them — were checked and no other devices were located, police say.

Sarasota police offered these tips to avoid falling victim to the card skimmers:

• Choose a fuel pump that is close to the entrance of the store.
• Use a credit card for the transaction, not a debit card.
• Pay inside and use cash.

Sarasota police encourage any customer who recently purchased gas at the Citgo station to monitor their bank accounts and if anything is found to be suspicious — no matter how small — to contact their bank immediately.

Anyone with information on this case can call the Sarasota Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 941-263-6070 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS.