Cape police say evidence of gas skimmers declining due to new safety rules

The Cape Coral Police Department has another plan to make sure criminals don’t find new ways to steal money at gas stations in SWFL, especially as more and more people hit the roads this summer.

SWFL resident Jordan Purks uses cash at gas stations to avoid getting scammed like he has in the past.

“I went inside, got a couple cups of coffee, I went to the McDonald’s right after that and …declined,” Purks said.

Skimmers targeted his card.

And it’s been a problem all over Cape Coral in the past. Police say they were finding new skimmers every month. It made people who frequented gas stations in the area use different methods of payment.

“Most the time I use a card out here, but I go in and pay cash a lot of times. It’s just safer that way,” said Cape Coral resident Doug Shaw.

But thanks to a May 1 ordinance, police say things are starting to change.

For the past two months, gas stations across Cape Coral have been required to add special locks or technology to their pumps, hoping to keep criminals and skimmers out.

“We’ve made it hard in Cape Coral for you to do your skimmer crimes,” said Corporal Phillip Mullen with the Cape Coral Police Department.

Police credit much of the success to the physical lock now making it even harder for criminals to go after cards.

“Criminals are always going to look for the easy way, and Cape Coral isn’t the easy way any more,” Mullen said.

Cape police say they did not find any skimmers in the area during the month of June. The last time they did find one was on May 24.