State Lawmaker Passes 3 Bills Related To Credit Card Skimmers

AUSTIN, TX — A state lawmaker is passed three laws through the House of Representative that she hopes will make it easier to prosecute those who use credit card skimmers.

Texas Representative Mary Ann Perez (D-Pasadena), passed House Bills 2945, 2624 and 2625 this week after months of negotiations with merchants, law enforcement agencies, and financial institutions, according to her office.

Credit card skimming has become a common occurrence at gas pumps and convenience stores in Texas, and in the Houston area.

Credit card skimmers are electronic devices that are either installed inside gas pumps or on the outside on a credit or debit card reader at banks or gas pumps by thieves, who steal the information to create fake credit cards, or use the numbers for other online transactions.

This is a major inconvenience for consumers whose personal account information has been compromised and results in millions of dollars in financial losses for banks throughout the state, Perez said in a statement.

Last week, a neighborhood watch group in Conroe reported a suspected credit card skimmer to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

READ ALSO: Credit Card Skimmers Found At Conroe Chevron Station

Investigators were at the station the next day and removed two skimmers that had been installed inside gas pumps.

House Bill 2945: gives the Attorney General rule making authority to implement "best practices" in order to prevent skimmer installations on gas pumps. The bill also creates a payment fraud fusion center, which provides law enforcement with a centralized location and the tools necessary to investigate financial crimes.

House Bill 2624: allows offenders of payment fraud to be prosecuted in any county in which the crime was committed, or in any county in which a victim whose information was stolen resides.

House Bill 2625: provides penalties to criminals who are caught with multiple counterfeit cards.

"This is a problem that Texas will take the lead on and become a model for other states. I appreciate the stakeholders coming together on this issue, but more importantly, the overwhelming support I have received from the Texas House of Representatives," Perez said in her statement. "I am proud that we, together as a body, will combat credit card skimming at gas pumps in Texas."

Click here and type in the bill number to read the text of the legislation.