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Police investigating compromised credit, debit cards at ‘Whistle Stop’ gas station

Posted at 3:01 PM, Jan 13, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-13 19:24:13-05

ODESSA, Mo. — Police are trying to figure out how multiple debit cards are being compromised at a Shell gas station, otherwise known as The Whistle Stop.

Odessa Police Chief Josh Thompson told 41 Action News Monday the department has received about half a dozen reports of fraudulent behavior after cards were used at the location.

Odessa resident Nicole Bautista believes her husband's debit card information was compromised when he got gas at one of the pumps toward the end of December.

"We generally don't use Shell because they had this problem a few years ago," Bautista said. "It was probably three or four years ago, my parents lived in Odessa and pretty much only went to Shell and their card got hit."

Bautista said after her husband used the pumps to get gas she kept a close eye on her bank account and noticed two fraudulent charges Sunday.

"There was two different charges for $199 total to ExxonMobil in Rhome, Texas, which obviously is not us," Bautista said.

Thompson said the department is investigating and has searched every gas pump and watched hours of surveillance video. The department has not located a card skimming device or any signs of tampering on the pumps.

The business told 41 Action News it is working closely with police to determine how cards are being compromised.

"I'm glad they are because it's just a little suspicious to everybody in town because it's one gas station out of all of them in town that has had this problem a couple times over the last couple years," Bautista said.

Thompson said the reports the department received were within a two-week time period that began in late December.