BEWARE: Card Skimmers Found in St. Tammany Parish Stores

Detectives with the STPSO Financial Crimes Unit worked together with detectives with Jefferson Parish Sheriff's to identify one individual after skimmers were found at three stores in St. Tammany Parish. They are attempting to identify another individual believed to be involved.

Warrants were obtained for the arrest of 32 year-old Petru Golvan of Washington State, on three counts each of Theft by Skimming and Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, after he was observed on camera installing the devices at the stores. Golvan is current incarcerated in Jefferson Parish, where he was previously arrested on similar charges.

“In the past we have found skimmers on gas pumps and ATM machines,” Sheriff Smith said. “But the criminals are getting more brazen, and we are now starting see a new trend of them being placed on credit/debit card readers at checkouts inside retail stores.”

Sheriff Smith urges residents to look closely at credit/debit card readers before using them and if anything looks suspicious (not fitting tight, gaps or extra plastic or the look doesn’t match other readers in the same business), to make the business aware and use another reader.

He is also asking business owners to inspect their credit/debit card readers often and make STPSO  aware of any that appear to have been tampered with.