Local authorities said credit card fraud is a consistent problem each year.
Gainesville Police arrested two Houston, Texas, men last week after authorities said they found 25 counterfeit credit cards, according to a police report.
Shoppers are most vulnerable to credit card fraud when they shop online, Gainesville Police spokesman Officer Ben Tobias said.
“On the Internet, that’s the No. 1 place where credit card numbers are compromised,” he said. “You have to figure out a balance between convenience and security.”
Residents are more likely to become victims of credit card fraud during holidays, such as Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, said Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Brandon Kutner.
He said shoppers may try to find the best deals on unreputable websites, sometimes leaving their credit card numbers at the mercy of criminals.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested three Miami men April 3 after authorities said they were in possession of 21 fraudulent credit cards, which were possibly created with a machine found in the trunk, according to a police report.
Kutner said local authorities have found card skimmers on gas station pumps, and skimmers have also been found on cash registers in other areas of Florida.
His recommendation: Routinely check credit card and bank statements.
“As technology evolves, also the ability for a tech savvy criminal to compromise the technology evolves, and so we see a new type of crime that’s being committed because of those technological advances,” Kutner said.
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