SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey lawmakers have advanced a bill to enhance penalties for people who install skimming devices at places like gas stations and convenience stores to steal credit card numbers.
Recently, police in Pennsauken said they found a skimming device on a credit card machine at a Save A Lot. It was in place for at least four days.
The state Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee has voted to advance a bill that would increase penalties up to a second-degree offense if skimmers are used to steal more than $50,000.
It would also require retailers to take reasonable security steps to prevent those devices from being installed in the first place at their cash registers and gas pumps.
Eric Blomgren, executive director of the New Jersey Gas and Convenience Store Association, told the committee they agree with most of the bill.
“The only concern we have is the wording,” he said. “These stores would be required to install a lot of security cameras, which could be a costly burden.
“Most have security cameras in general, but if you have to have one that’s facing every individual gas pump as well as inside a store for every register point of sale, it could add up to a lot. So it could be a serious expense for places that already have security cameras.”
Although the bill received committee approval, Blomgren and others have requested amendments to ensure protection from these types of unintended consequences.
The legislation has more hearings scheduled. It would need to pass a full vote in the Senate and Assembly before being signed into law.