Smith County Key Player in Forum on Gas Skimmers

DALLAS — State officials take part in a fact-finding forum on credit card skimming, and Smith County is a key player. The small devices are attached to a gas pump, allowing thieves to steal the debit or credit card information of unsuspecting customers. It’s a $2 billion a year racket in the U.S. This week’s forum looked at ways to shut down skimming and at laws to punish the offenders. Officials heard from members of a task force that recovered more than 100 of the devices last year in Tyler and Smith County. They say the local zero-tolerance prosecution policy sends a powerful message. Not a single card skimmer has turned up in Tyler so far this year.