Card skimming device found at Topeka Dillons grocery store

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Topeka police report another card skimmer was found at a major grocery store earlier this week, potentially jeopardizing the financial security of locals.

Rosie Nichols with the City of Topeka told 27 News officers with the Topeka Police Department (TPD) were called after a card skimmer was located around 10 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12 at the Dillons located at 5311 Southwest 22nd Place. The device had already been removed from the card reader it was attached to before police arrived.

Police retrieved the device and took it away as evidence. No other devices were located at the store and no arrests have been made in connection to this incident yet.

Nichols said no other devices have been found in Topeka since November 2024 when several were retrieved from local Dollar General locations. The TPD issued a warning in August last year regarding the danger posed by card skimmers in the community after a device was found at the Dillons located at 2815 Southwest 29th Street.

"We encourage citizens to be aware of the potential for card skimming devices on all card readers, especially those with the potential to be unattended in self-checkout lanes or at gas stations," Nichols said. "If you have a question about whether a card reader has a skimmer on it, contact the store manager or an employee of the business where you are checking out."

Card skimmers are used to steal shopper's credit card information, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Thefts like these cost financial institutions and average citizens more than $1 billion every year. Keep the following hints in mind to avoid falling victim to a card skimmer:

• Inspect card readers before inserting your credit or debit card.
• Check to see if the card reader looks like it has been tampered with.
• Feel the card reader to see if it is loose or off-centered.
• Check to see if the alignment between the card reader and the panel beneath it appears off.
• Compare your card reader with others nearby.
• Look inside the reader for a thin plastic circuit board – if the circuit board is visible, this is a skimmer.
• If available, use a register with a staff member.
• Use tap to pay or contactless pay whenever possible.

You can make reports of card skimmers by calling the TPD at 785-368-9551. For more information on card skimmers, check out the Kansas Department of Agriculture's (KDA) website by clicking here.

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