GROVES, Texas — Pepper Marley said she knows the exact date her card was skimmed at the Valero on Twin City Highway in Groves.
"Good grief, twice? I had no idea that half the people in town had their card skimmed," Marley said.
She says she fell victim twice at that same gas station.
In one incident her card was skimmed for over $100.
"It was a Valero card, and all they could do is use it at Valero stations," she said. "At least it wasn't my regular credit card or bank card," Marley said. "They could have cleaned that out."
She's recently found out; she's not alone.
12News spoke with another woman who said it happened to her at the same store. She even went into detail, saying it happened at pump 6.
Others claim there have been incidents of people paying inside and still getting their credit card information stolen.
One woman sent an email to Valero's corporate office and shared the response with 12News.
It reads as follows:
"Thank you for your message. We are very sorry for your experience at this location. This site is an independently owned location that is not corporate owned. We have forwarded the information you provided directly to those who oversee this site. We take these concerns very seriously and appreciate your patience in this matter. Please allow the distributor 3-5 business days to follow up. For your reference, we have opened ticket #34435."
Groves Police said they are aware of the trouble that goes beyond this one gas station.
They have had at least 13 reports of skimming in the last year and say it happens all over the Golden Triangle.
They said the growing problem spreads from Houston to Louisiana.
It's enough to make consumers cautious.
"We almost always buy gas using a gift card. We buy most of our gas at Murphy, and we buy our gas cards at Walmart," said Jack Thomas.
Marley said she was caught off guard.
"I've never had this happen to me before anywhere any other time, any other place," Marley said.
She warns others to think before they swipe at the pump.
Groves Police say they are currently investigating with the Secret Service.
The penalty of this crime depends on how many credit cards thieves get.
They tell 12News they could be charged with Possession of a Criminal Instrument and/or Fraudulent Use or Possession of Identifying Information.
They say the best protection is to use cash at the gas station.
12News also reached out to the Valero on Twin City Highway.
An employee said the owner was not there at the time, and she would have the owner to call us back the next day.