ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - Multiple Albany residents say they noticed fraudulent charges on their bank accounts shortly after using the same Slappey Boulevard gas station, raising concerns about whether card information may be getting compromised.

Jasmine Laster said she realized something was wrong when she checked her account one morning to pay for lawn equipment.

“I seen this money was taken out by the Citgo,” Laster said. “It was at 8:45 in the morning and I was just waking up.”

Laster said the charge was small, $22.75, but alarming because she said her card was still in her possession.

“It was a small amount to not get picked up,” she said. “But it was just enough for they can keep taking it and keep taking it.”

Laster said she went to the store and called police, then waited outside for an officer.

“So, now I’m just waiting for someone to come so I can give them the information,” she said. “And they never showed up.”

Another customer reports similar issue

Another Albany customer, who asked to be identified only as “Shantae,” said she believes she noticed a pattern after visiting the same location.

“Every time I’ve patronized this particular store, within 24 to 72 hours, erroneous charges … start popping up on my Apple Wallet,” Shantae said.

She said she saw unauthorized charges that appeared to be from services like Google Play or Walmart+.

“It’s always like literally within 24 to 72 hours after I’ve used my card at that store,” she said.

Shantae said she went back inside the store recently — in part, she said, to test whether the charges would happen again.

“I went inside of the store, got like maybe $10 or $11 worth of gas … and within 24 to 48 hours on my wallet, it was $28.99 coming off, $28.99 coming off,” she said.

The amount stood out because it matched a charge another person reported, according to our reporting.

Shantae said she spoke with a manager, who advised her to dispute it with her bank.

“I did go to the store and I spoke to the manager … and he told me to pretty much just dispute it with my bank,” she said.

When asked why she wanted to speak out, Shantae said she wanted to warn others.

“Really, I just feel like I’m just tired of them taking advantage of my community,” she said. “We work hard for our money.”

Where the complaints are centered

The reports shared with our newsroom involve the Citgo on Slappey Boulevard near Long John Silver’s, according to residents.

Citgo management confirmed that they are looking into these claims. At this time, it is unclear whether these charges could be tied to card skimming by people not associated with the business or another type of fraud connected to the location.

How could this happen?

It’s not yet confirmed what caused the fraudulent charges. Experts say criminals can steal card information in several ways, including by attaching a “skimmer” to a card reader or by compromising data elsewhere in the payment chain.

Laster said her bank told her a card can sometimes still show transactions even when it’s locked.

“They explained to me that they can put it in so it can show up to the bank as a recurring fee, like an auto pay,” Laster said. “And that would bypass it being locked.”

What you can do to protect yourself

Consumer advocates recommend taking a few quick steps before you pay at the pump:

• Check the card reader for anything loose, bulky, or unusual before inserting or swiping.
• Use tap-to-pay when available or pay inside.
• Monitor your account regularly for unfamiliar charges.
• Set up fraud alerts through your bank.
• Report suspicious activity immediately to your bank and to the police.

We asked Albany Police for incident reports tied to this Slappey Boulevard address.

Those records show APD has received calls tied to this gas station in prior years for fraud-related complaints — including reports involving forged or fraudulent checks.

Those reports involve alleged check fraud — not card skimming — and police have not confirmed what’s behind the charges these women say they’re seeing now.

Still, the women say it’s enough to make them warn others to watch their accounts closely.

“If they did it to me, they can do it to other people, especially the older people that won’t be paying attention. I just want to make me personally and everyone feel heard and safe and know that all problems, no matter how small, matters.” Laster says.

“I don’t see this happening in Lee County; I’ll put it like that. It’s always in ‘destitute’ areas where people are already struggling. That’s where they make their landmark with skimming, that’s what they call it.” Shantae says.

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