‘I almost got scammed’: Georgia woman checks out at Family Dollar. Then she notices something odd about the card scanner—catching the worker in a lie
A woman says she discovered a card skimmer at Family Dollar—and the response from staff left her shocked.
In a video with over 816,000 views, TikToker Jessica (@dattlibra_) says she was shopping at a Family Dollar location in Decatur, Georgia, when she noticed something was off about the card scanner.
“I look at the thing … Like, it looks so weird,” Jessica recalls. “So I put my first digit in for my PIN, and then I was like, I canceled it.”
Using her fingernail and a pen, she was able to pry off the PIN pad. Underneath the PIN pad is another PIN pad—revealing the top pad to be a skimmer. Concerned, she gave the skimmer over to the staff.
However, something didn’t seem quite right.
What Happened To This Card Skimmer?
About a half hour after the incident, Jessica says she felt the need to return to the store to make sure the situation was handled.
“I should have never left it up there, because if it’s anybody that works there, then they [are] gonna probably put it back up there,” she explains. “They still able to go home and read whatever information that they don’t already got from people before me.”
Consequently, she went back to the store and confronted the worker present during the incident.
According to the worker, the police did arrive following Jessica’s discovery. However, the employee says that they determined the card reader to be in normal working order—apparently unaware that Jessica had already removed the alleged skimmer. Even though she handed over the skimmer, it appears that the device was never shown to the police.
Concerned, Jessica asked the employee for a case number. The employee said they were not given one. This detail struck Jessica as strange—and so, she headed off to the local police precinct to follow up.
The Police Get Involved
Jessica then drove to the local police station. The station itself was closed, so she called the non-emergency line. An officer instructed her to meet him at the Family Dollar location.
When the officer arrived, he confirmed that he had visited the store, but that he hadn’t been shown the skimmer. Upon returning, Jessica showed him the video she took of the skimmer and its removal.
Throughout all of this, the employee from before stood watching nearby. Eventually, he produced the skimmer.
“When police come back, now, all of a sudden, the keypad has appeared,” Jessica says.
Of the employee, Jessica says, in her opinion, “clearly he’s guilty.” However, she states that the worker instead put the blame on his co-worker, who was no longer in the building.
What Should You Do If You Find A Skimmer?
This isn’t the first time card skimmers have been found at Family Dollar. Skimmers have been found at locations in New Jersey, Iowa, Nebraska, Alabama, and more.
In the event that you find a skimmer on a card reader, there are a few steps you should take.
First, police advise not touching the device directly. Instead, one should report the device to staff and immediately inform the authorities. From there, they will be able to come, examine the device, and take further action.
Next, if you only notice the skimmer after using the machine, it’s best practice to cancel your card to prevent any future charges.
Can This Be Prevented?
If you want to make sure this doesn’t happen to you in the future, experts suggest employing a “tug, tap, and track” philosophy when it comes to in-store payments.
This means that one should inspect every card reader before using it. Keep an eye out for pads that do not appear affixed to the device, or anything else that seems wonky or off. If you’re unsure, you can “tug” on parts of the device to see if anything has been attached to it.
Second, you can opt for “tap” payments whenever possible. Apple Pay and other equivalents have security measures that make stealing your information difficult, even if there’s a skimmer on the device.
Finally, you can track your finances. Have alerts set up for your credit cards so you’re notified if a payment goes through. If someone tries to authorize a payment on your card without your permission, you can immediately freeze the card and report the problem.
Commenters Commend The User
In the comments section, users voiced their appreciation for Jessica and her commitment to making sure the device was properly handled. Others shared advice to prevent these problems from occurring in the first place.
“Definitely an inside job SPECIFICALLY on that shift. I’m a manager at Family Dollar & we have to always check the pin pads. Call corporate & send them the video,” wrote a user.
“Always use Apple Pay,” added another. “Almost all stores have it or tap.”
“Great job for figuring that scamming out and doing something about it,” stated a third. “You help alot of people to be more aware of using our credit & debt cards.”
@dattlibra_ SCAMMERS @Family Dollar #familydollar #decatur #rainbowdr ♬ Welp, Didn't Expect That – Yu-Peng Chen & HOYO-MiX
The Mary Sue reached out to Family Dollar via email and Jessica via Instagram direct message.
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