Metro Safety Tips After Manhunt For OKC Credit Card Skimmers

A police chase of two credit skimmer suspects led to a manhunt, even a reported non-injury shooting, today near Penn Square Mall and 50 Penn Place.

While the suspects are in custody, News 9 checked police departments around the metro to see where most of these credit card skimmers are concentrated.

Edmond Police dealt with the most recent rash of skimmers just last month, and arrested three suspects following an alleged skimming operation.

They want to share some tips to keep you safe.

- They say try to use ATM’s where a stationed security guard is present. It cuts down on the likelihood that the machine has been tampered with.
- Turn on the Bluetooth setting on your device. If a Bluetooth skimmer is being used, then it’s likely that a long line of numbers will pop-up in the listed window of available devices to connect to.
- Try and park within eye-sight of a clerk at a gas station, the pumps are typically more secure.
- Check the seal of the pump to see it’s been tampered with.
- Finally, if you’re able, go inside and pay. Ask the gas station what kind of security measures they have in place.

Police continue to learn more about how this crime ring works, and there’s data that shows why skimming seems comes in waves.

“They are usually in a rental car,” says Edmond Police Information Officer Jenny Wagnon. "The ones that are coming from across the country are in a rental. They are staying in hotels along the highway and they hit in pockets. What we are finding is that these people are part of a larger network that move across the country and they are professionals. They are honestly willing to take any measures to not be caught and to keep this going."

Wagnon says her department works closely with other investigative agencies in the metro so they can track activity, and adds sometimes, skimmers will move from one town, to another city nearby.

6/28/17 Related Story: Norman Police Warn Of Hard To Recognize ATM Skimmers

Yukon reported they had some skimming activity a few months ago. Norman, Moore, and Midwest City had no recent confirmed cases. Other agencies were contacted, but those calls went unreturned.