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Authorities report finding 30 more skimmers at Arizona gas stations

Posted at 4:47 PM, Oct 27, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-27 20:20:44-04

Authorities say an additional 30 devices used to steal credit and debit card information have been found across the state in the past two months.

The Arizona Department of Agriculture is leading the investigation into a sharp increase of skimmer devices this year.

Last year, officials found 11 such devices. So far in 2016, 78 skimmers have been found attached to card readers at gas pumps. Most have been found in the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas, though some have also been found in Yuma and Kingman, among others.

When a card is swiped, the skimmer takes the card information and can be used to make fraudulent cards, according to a Department of Agriculture spokesperson.

The state is working with partners at the federal and local level as it continues to investigate the theft of personal information.