Beware of credit card scams getting gas in NJ

About two weeks ago my neighbor got gas at a popular large convenience store in Lumberton using her husband's American Express card. A few days later they got a text from Amex asking if we had charged $172 at another store in the chain in Delran and they had not!

They looked up the charge online, and it said his card was presented in person.

She contacted Amex's fraud department and asked how the card could have been presented "in person" if they still have the card.

They told her there was likely a skimming device used. She's not sure it was at the convenience store/gas station, but she's not sure where else it could have been.

Her husband doesn't use the card that often, and over the last few weeks that was the only time he had used that card.

This happens from time to time at area gas stations in New Jersey and it's exactly why I only use cash to get gas. It used to be cheaper than the credit card price, but most places charge the same today for cash or credit purchases of gasoline.

If you know it's going to cost you about $50 a week for gas, get two fifty-dollar bills from your ATM every two weeks. Stick them in the bottom of your glove box or console or in your wallet and you've got your safe gas purchase cash.

I just don't feel comfortable handing my card over to some guy at the gas pump. I would feel better about using a card if I could pump my own gas, but it's New Jersey and that will probably never happen.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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