Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Indianapolis Parking Meters Targeted By Credit Card Skimmers


Advance Indiana learned today that at least one of the electronic parking meters operated by Park Indy on Mass Avenue in downtown Indianapolis was compromised after someone placed a credit card skimmer on the meter. The victim, son of City-County Councilor Christine Scales, parked his car at Space No. 1327 in the 300 block. Within a short time after Joseph Scales swiped his credit card to purchase time on the meter, the person who placed the skimmer on the electronic parking meter charged about $400 to the credit card he used. DPW Director Lori Miser has been apprised of the incident by Councilor Scales, but I've not seen any public warning to alert motorists to be on the look-out if they are using credit cards to make purchases on the City's parking meters. Be aware of this problem if you're using credit cards to buy time on the parking meters. Gasoline station pumps all over town have been similarly victimized by this same scam.

UPDATE: DPW Director Lori Miser tells WRTV that the meters in this area were checked yesterday evening and no skimming devices were found on them. Miser claims it would be very difficult for someone to place a skimming device on Park Indy's meters. According to Scales, a $200 charge was made to her son's card within minutes of him swiping his card at the meter for a Game Stop purchase at 86th & Michigan. When a second $200 charge was attempted a short time later, Fifth Third fraud detectors alerted her son and declined the charge. The bank is 99% certain the information obtained to make the charges on the account resulted from a skimmer placed on the meter according to Scales. Fifth Third told Scales this type of fraud has been frequently occurring.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Gary! I will tell the people I work with and let them know. They wouldn't hear it on MSM but maybe they will pick up the story after reading it here.

Charles M. Navarra said...


Thank you, Gary. Shared your news report on my FB page. Have not heard about this anywhere but on your site.

I used my card in one of these downtown parking meters last week and had an uncanny premonition about this very thing.

Pete Boggs said...

Vendors are required to provide secure transactions & failure to do so could result in other action... What are the vendors doing about this problem?

Anonymous said...

Thank you fat Mayor Ballard, Your corrupt antics just continue to keep giving (or is it taking) long after your gone. Aren't you Indy folks so Farkking glad you voted for him????

He makes Richard Murdock seem ok.

Downtown Indy said...

As we all still wait (well, most of us) for the 'smart chip' rollout to finally happen.