SOUTHAMPTON — Police recovered a card skimmer discovered by staff at a Cumberland Farms in Southampton on Thursday. The skimmer was affixed to the left register, or register two, while register one and all fuel pumps appeared to be free of tampering.

Skimmers are illegally installed at point of sale terminals, fuel pumps and other locations, and are used to capture card data and pin entries. Data acquired with skimmers can be used to steal from victims accounts or make unauthorized purchases.

According to a report by the FBI, skimming costs consumers and financial institutions an estimated total of over $1 billion every year.

The Southampton Police Department is encouraging those who recently checked out at that particular register to keep a close watch on their accounts for anything unusual. If any discrepancies are discovered, contact the Southampton Police Department.

According to the department, other Cumberland Farms in the area have also reported discovering skimmers.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.