Card-skimming devices that can steal credit and debit card information from customers continue to be found at numerous Cumberland Farms locations across western Massachusetts, including in several communities within Hampshire County.

The gas station chain’s parent company, EG America, said in a statement to the Gazette that five stores in the region had recently found skimming devices, including the Hampshire County towns of Southampton, Williamsburg and Amherst. Two additional skimmers were found in Great Barrington and Pittsfield, in Berkshire County.

“EG America is aware of the skimming devices recently found in some of our Cumberland Farms stores and is working closely with local law enforcement to investigate this further,” the company said in a statement. “The safety of our guests is our top priority, and we will remain vigilant to ensure our stores are a secure place for all.”

The company is advising people who shopped at the gas stations between the dates of Sept. 4 and Sept. 13 to monitor their bank accounts for any suspicious activity. Local law enforcement continues to investigate the incidents.

The skimmers are placed over regular point-of-sale devices found in stores that customers use to pay for products with a card, and can capture card data and PIN entries that allow criminals to steal and copy card information to make purchases on the card.

Although they can appear almost indistinguishable from regular PIN pads or other point-of-sale devices, any slight alteration in appearance can be a sign a skimmer device is installed. In Williamsburg, a police officer purchasing a drink at the Cumberland Farms noticed his PIN pad was slightly elevated when compared to others in the store, which led to the uncovering of that store’s skimming device.

Incidents of card skimming are on the rise across the United States, with the number of incidents reported in 2023 increasing by 40% from the previous year, according to a recent report by credit score company FICO. Though Massachusetts did not rank within the top 10 states where incidents reported, the nearby states of Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey did, according to the report.

Other noticeable incidents of card skimming have occurred in New England in recent months. In July, several foreign nationals of Romania, Great Britain and Ireland where charged in federal court after allegedly placing skimming devices at ATMs in several cities and towns in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In total, $300,000 was allegedly stolen from bank accounts as a result of the scheme.

The FBI list several tips on how to prevent your card from skimming, including inspecting ATMs and other terminals before purchasing and to pull edges of a keypad before entering a PIN number. People wishing to report card skimming may do so at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center by going to ic3.gov.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.