ENID, Okla. (KFOR) - The Enid Police Department is warning residents about possible skimming devices on card readers at local businesses. According to Enid PD, a skimmer is an illegal device that steals cardholder information from card readers at ATMs, gas pumps and other terminals. Investigators are looking into multiple cases where skimming devices have been found. LOCAL NEWS: Stillwater apartment complex facing transparency concerns after rebranding Officials say a skimmer may look like a regular card reader, but traditional card readers curve inward while skimmers normally curve outward. Since they look so similar, skimmers can be difficult to spot. Enid PD suggests looking for alignment issues between the reader and the panel underneath. The scanners are usually placed on top of the real card reader and may stick out in an unusual way. Enid Police warning of card skimmers. Image courtesy Enid Police. The device can be easily pulled out of place and customers can test if the buttons are hard to push, those are signs of a skimming device. A gas pump skimmer is usually attached with internal wiring that the customer can't see and will store data that can be accessed later. The Enid Police Department has some tips to avoid being a victim of skimming at a gas station: Choose a gas pump closer to the store and in view of the attendant. These pumps may be less likely to have a skimmer. Pay inside with an attendant rather than outside at the pump. Run your debit card as a credit card to avoid inputting your PIN, or cover the keypad while entering your PIN. Make sure the pump panel is closed and doesn’t show any signs of tampering. Many gas stations have security seals over the cabinet panel. See if the card reader looks similar to other readers at the gas station. LOCAL NEWS: Oklahoma man pleads guilty to setting girlfriend’s home on fire ATM and point-of-sale terminal skimmers are normally placed on top of the real card reader and may look just like the card reader itself. An ATM skimmer can be placed inside the terminal or along exposed cables. Also, a camera may be placed on an ATM to record customers entering their PIN. If anything looks strange, try to avoid using your card at that specific ATM or point-of-sale terminal. According to police, here are some things to look for when using ATMs or point-of-sale terminals when making a transaction: Look for anything that’s loose, crooked, damaged or scratched. Pull at the edges of the keyboard before entering your PIN to make sure it isn’t loose. Run your debit card as a credit card to avoid inputting your PIN, or cover the keypad while entering your PIN.