The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA), a statewide trade association advocating for the retail food industry, commends the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for unanimously passing legislation yesterday that would update and upgrade Pennsylvania law to help prevent, eliminate and punish the use of fraudulent credit-debit card devices.
HB1918, sponsored by Representative Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York), would make skimmer and
scanner devices and their use illegal. It would also create strong penalties for the 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.
