Credit cards vulnerable as gas pump upgrades enter final stretch

BOSTON — Gas pumps across the country must upgrade to EMV, or chip card technology, by October of 2020. Technology experts tell Boston 25 News the deadline is sending thieves into a frenzy to target credit accounts while they still can.

The owner of Murley’s Car Care Center in Weymouth says the chip upgrades have not been easy on small station owners. His family has owned the station for more than 50 years, and says the new gas pump card readers cost them tens of thousands of dollars.

“Takes a lot for a small guy on the corner,” said Neil Murley.

Not complying could be even more expensive. Credit card companies will hold stations themselves responsible for fraudulent charges after October. Station owners nationwide asked for an extension, claiming there’s a struggle to find contractors to upgrade the pump technology before the deadline. The credit card companies refused to grant an extension.

Scammers scramble before deadline

Tech experts say those stations that are not in compliance yet could be open to of the most lucrative scams going: Credit card skimmers. Skimming schemes rang up as much as a billion dollars a year in fraud.

Boston-based cyber expert Robert Siciliano of safr.me believes, as security at point-of-purchase strengthens, crooks will look to those lingering pumps that haven’t made the switch, to cash-in on a closing opportunity.

"The bad guys know, what Visa, Mastercard, American Express are doing in regard to closing the window on potential fraud. So they are ramping up to make sure they are taking advantage of every last pump that doesn’t have the right technology to prevent skimming,” Siciliano said

Steps to protect your money

To protect your money, Siciliano recommends setting up account alerts on your cards. That means every time you use your card at a point-of-sale at the gas station, you immediately get a text message or email telling you there has been a charge made.

Siciliano also suggests you consider using a credit card for point-of-sale purchases rather than debit.

“I wouldn’t use a debit card out in the wild due the fact that if the card gets compromised that’s money right out of my bank account,” Siciliano said.

The Massachusetts Division of Standards tells Boston 25 News says the state has been lucky so far in 2020, and has not seen a spike in skimming cases at gas stations yet, but that the office is keeping an eye on the situation until the deadline in October.

You can find more from the credit card companies on the EMV upgrade here.

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