In a few Gainesville, FL gas stations, police have uncovered credit card skimming devices equipped with Bluetooth. This means the credit card thieves don't even have to get out of their vehicle to retrieve the credit card numbers picked up by the device. They just have to be close enough to the gas pump to connect via Bluetooth and then they can download stolen credit card data to a cell phone or laptop computer.
I suspect this Bluetooth makes it less likely that the thief will get caught. The thief can also leave the skimming device in place indefinitely, collecting countless credit card numbers rather than take it down to retrieve the stolen data and limit the number of credit card numbers stolen.
The scary thing about credit card skimming devices is that they're easy for thieves to get and hard for card users to detect. Your only recourse is to closely monitor your credit card statements and report anything suspicious to your credit card issuer, no matter how small the charge. If it could happen in one city, it could happen in any city.
Related Articles:
Source: The Gainesville Sun