Last updated on June 13th, 2024 at 04:43 pm
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) commended the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for unanimously passing legislation that would update and upgrade Pennsylvania law to help prevent, eliminate and punish the use of fraudulent credit/debit card devices.
HB 1918, sponsored by Rep. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York), would make skimmer and scanner devices and their use illegal. It would also create strong penalties for using these devices. The first use of a skimmer or scanner to obtain information from an encoded card, computer chip or magnetic strip would be punished as a third-degree felony while a second offense would make it a second-degree felony.
“We commend Representative Phillips-Hill and the House of Representatives for passing this important legislation to prevent and punish the use of credit/debit card devices,” said Alex Baloga, PFMA president and CEO. “PFMA members are committed to keeping their customers’ information safe when they shop in their stores. This legislation is an important step to combat and deter the use of these devices, and we urge the Senate to pass it as well.”
The bill now heads to the Pennsylvania Senate for consideration.
The PFMA, a statewide trade association, advocates the views of nearly 800 convenience stores, supermarkets, independent grocers, wholesalers and consumer product vendors. PFMA members operate more than 3,200 stores and employ more than 150,000 Pennsylvanians.
