Recently I had my credit card information stolen from a gas pump skimmer for the third time in the past six years.

I stopped buying my gas at certain stations because, last year, their stores had 77 percent of the skimmers found in the state. And yet it still happened at a local gas station. I am beyond aggravated and frustrated that this crime is allowed to keep running rampant and that the criminals aren’t being prosecuted. Why aren’t gas companies, gas stations, credit card companies, banks, law enforcement, and government agencies doing more to combat this crime?

Maybe they can’t prevent it from happening, but you can. From now on, never – and I mean never – use your credit card at the pump again! Go inside and pay at the cashier. It might take you an extra couple of minutes, but it will save you from becoming another complacent victim of this crime.