Scammers will do anything to cheat people out of their money. The easier the scam, the better. Today, scammers are using faux terminal keypads and credit card skimmer overlays to capture payment information from unsuspecting motorists at gas pumps. 

A popular video shows a repair technician pulling a fake keypad and credit card skimmer off of a gas pump in California

Gas pump crimes aren’t a recent development. Thieves take advantage of motorists by stealing their money and belongings at gas stations every day. However, scammers are using also removable technology to cheat drivers out of their credit card information. Frighteningly, a recent video shows just how easily well-placed equipment can scam pump-goers in 2025.

In the video, a fuel pump repair technician approaches a payment terminal on a pump. He removes an overlay keypad from the factory setup. He then focuses on the card skimmer. After sliding a small screwdriver into the seam above the reader, he pries the fake reader off the machine. “If you try to pull it and it’s loose, they most likely have a skimmer device,” the technician told viewers. Between the two devices, scammers can capture a card’s PIN, chip, and mag strip information. 

So how do you stay ahead of faux card skimmers and scamming devices? For starters, take the time to look at a gas pump before using it. Does the card reader or keypad look crooked or out of place? If they do, a malicious party may have replaced them with their devices to collect your information.

Next, physically wiggle the card reader. If anything seems like an add-on or feels loose to the touch, don’t use the machine. Report any devices you find to the gas station attendant immediately.

In addition to remaining vigilant, using a tap-to-pay method cuts these tools out of the equation. PayPal reports that tap-to-pay methods “can be safer than paying with a credit card chip or debit PIN. When you insert your chip or enter your information into a credit card reader, that information can be copied or hacked.”

Check out the video of the technician removing the scammer devices below!