Wawa customers ripped off

By Keith Phucas, Special to The Mercury

NORRISTOWN — Some Wawa gas customers may have been taken for more than sky-high fuel prices last week.

Pennsylvania State Police found “skimming” devices installed on gas pump card readers at two Wawa stores in the Philadelphia region, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Thieves attempted to steal customers’ account information at stores in Bristol and New Castle, Del., according to a AAA Mid-Atlantic press release.

“Gas prices are causing a lot of pain for drivers, and risking identity theft is a worry they just don’t need,” said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Ela Voluck. “It’s certainly unnerving.”


After a Wawa employee found a suspicious device at one of the stores, the company inspected gas pumps at 250 area locations and posted warning notices.

“We have checked card readers at every single store,” said Lori Bruce, a Wawa spokeswoman. “We are doing multiple inspections every day.”

In order to steal credit card information, thieves typically attach a device to card readers in retail stores or ATMs. When a customer swipes a card through the reader, encoded information on a credit or debit card’s magnetic strip is transferred to a digital storage device enabling criminals to gain access to personal information.

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania State Police, along with U.S. Secret Service agents from the Philadelphia and Wilmington offices, began investigating the suspected tampering incidents at the local convenience stores.

The retailer is working with law enforcement agencies and local banks on the criminal probe.

Besides checking all of its fuel pump card readers, Wawa has issued security alerts to all employees to be on the lookout for suspicious activity around pumps, issued security inspection procedures for stores and encouraged customers to check their bank statements for any irregular or fraudulent activity, according to a written statement issued by Wawa.

Any questions or tips about the skimming should be directed to Pennsylvania State Police or the Secret Service.

Wawa employs 16,000 people in portions of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The company has a total of 570 stores, 250 of which sell gasoline. The company traces its roots back to New Jersey in 1803, when Richard Wood opened a general store. The family later moved to Delaware County, Pa., opening Wawa Dairy Farms in 1902. The area was known as Wawa, which is what native Americans called a Canada Goose in flight.

In 1964, the first Wawa Food Market opened in Folsom, Pa. The first gasoline superstore opened in Millsboro, Del., in the mid-1990s.

************************************************** *********

Keep your eyes open ANYWHERE you buy gas on credit/debit card.