SUGARLOAF TOWNSHIP -- Police have a warning for all shoppers: beware of credit card skimmers.
This week, a number of people in Luzerne County found they lost hundreds of dollars to what investigators are calling a card skimming scam.
The secretary at the Sugarloaf Township Police Department has been busy filing incident reports for people like Robert Jones, a victim of an alleged card skimming scam that's gotten several people in the area.
"I was notified by the bank on Sunday that there was a $500 in Philadelphia, and I hadn't been in Philadelphia for the weekend," said Robert Jones of Sugarloaf.
Sugarloaf Township's police chief says the reports started coming in this week.
Card skimmers are usually placed over credit card devices so they can record your banking information.
At the moment, he says he can't pinpoint exactly where the skimming occurred, but he does want shoppers to be cautious when making credit and debit card purchases.
"It's just the times we live in. We're not 20 years ago. Technology is what it is now, and there are just so many ways for people to commit crimes now," said Sugarloaf Township Police Chief Josh Winters.
The chief not only recommends shoppers be diligent about these scams, but also the stores, too. He says Gould's Shur Save in the township is always watching out for skimmers.
The owner of Gould's Shur Save, John Cara, says he has never found a skimming device in his store, but state police have told him to be on the lookout.
"We watch them all the time. We have someone in our office doing our lottery. We also have cashiers out here all the time so we can be a little more diligent than say a gas station that has one or two people working," Cara said.
As for Jones, he's hoping whoever is behind this alleged scam will be caught.
"It looks like it's going to be a week to 10 days to get the money back. Fortunately, I'm able to do that. I feel bad for the people who live a little closer to the vest," Jones said.