Police probe debit fraud
Published 10:21 pm Saturday, June 4, 2011
If you bought gas at the Murphy Oil Service Station in front of the Walmart on North Main Street during the month of May, Suffolk police urge you to take a look at your bank statement.
The police department issued a call late Friday for those who made purchases at the station within the past 30 days to check their statements for unauthorized debit withdrawals. Any unauthorized withdrawals should be reported to police immediately, according to a press release issued by the city on Friday.
Suffolk spokesperson Debbie George stated in the release that police are investigating 11 different credit card frauds that have been traced to the location, and they now believe there have been other cases, as well.
Victims have reported that money has been stolen from their bank accounts after they used their debit or charge cards at the gas station in May, George stated in the release. In each case, withdrawals were made at California locations from the victims’ accounts.
Law enforcement officials in Gates County, N.C., have told Suffolk police that “several hundred” credit card frauds have been reported by residents of that county who were also customers of the Murphy Oil station.
“Police are unsure at this time exactly how the cards’ information was captured, but are looking at possibilities of methods such as a card reader installed on a gas pump,” George stated.