SUSSEX Co. – The Delaware State Police have started an investigation after they say skimming devices were found on the self-checkout kiosks at several Wawa locations in Sussex County.

Police say anyone who has completed transactions at the following Wawa locations listed below between August 31, 2024, and September 14, 2024, should review their banking or credit card accounts for fraudulent transactions:

• 24930 John J Williams Highway, Millsboro, Delaware
• 30155 Veterans Way, Wawa, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
• 35436 Wolfe Neck Rd, Wawa, Rehoboth, Delaware
• 17663 Dartmouth Dr, Lewes, Delaware

Tips to avoid skimming devices

In addition to urging folks to check their accounts for fraudulent activity, police have also shared a list of tips to help avoid becoming victim to skimming devices. 

• Check for a camera. Cameras could be used to record the PINs being entered. Avoid using the debit payment option where PINs are required.
• Tap-to-pay is currently the most secure method of payment, followed by the EMV chip payment method.
• Check for signs of tampering. Pull on the card slot and wiggle the keypad since the skimming devices are usually placed directly over the actual slot.

What happens if I find a potential skimming device?

• Notify the business management.
• Monitor banking or credit accounts for fraudulent transactions.
• Report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.

The Delaware State Police Financial Crimes Unit will continue to investigate this incident. 

Anyone who witnessed or has information regarding this case should contact Sergeant A. Morris by calling (302) 752-3806.

You can also send information by sending a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police or contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.

Officials warned people to stay out of the ocean at several beaches in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia after they said medical waste, including hypodermic needles, washed ashore. The source of the waste was under investigation.

Officials banned swimming, wading and surfing at Assateague State Park Sunday morning after Maryland Park Service rangers found several needles and needle caps, feminine hygiene products and cigar tips along the beach, Maryland Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Gregg Bortz said in an email.

A few more needles were found Monday and the ban on swimming in the ocean continued at the park, he said.

There have been no reports of injuries or people encountering these items while swimming, Bortz said. The department was working with other local, state, and federal agencies to determine when it’s safe for people to enter the water.

All of Assateague Island National Seashore’s ocean-facing beaches in Maryland and Virginia were closed to swimming and wading.

Maryland’s Department of Emergency Management raised its state activation level to “partial” in support of the incident.

In Ocean City, Maryland, the beach patrol temporarily banned swimming Sunday after discovering medical waste on town beaches. Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald stressed in a statement that the situation was serious and said town officials were working with the Worcester County Health Department to investigate the source.

“Until we are confident that the situation is under control, we recommend wearing shoes on the beach and avoiding the ocean entirely,” he said.

On Monday afternoon, Theobald said the amount of debris had “significantly decreased.” The town was continuing to monitor the situation, particularly as the next high tide cycles approached Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control advised beachgoers to leave the beaches from the Indian River inlet to Fenwick Island Sunday afternoon and to refrain from swimming after reports of waste washing ashore on nearby Maryland beaches, the agency said in a statement. The department confirmed only minimal waste on Delaware beaches, including plastic caps and a single needle found near Dewey Beach.

“Despite the low level of waste observed, DNREC is taking the situation seriously and advising caution,” the agency said in a statement. The department maintains Delaware’s two state park beaches, but decisions about municipal beaches are up to town officials.

Delaware’s Dewey Beach temporarily barred swimming in the ocean Sunday. In an update Monday, the town said it was continuing to address the issue. Fenwick Island officials closed the beach for swimming Sunday and said in a statement that beaches would be inspected again late Monday and on Tuesday morning before a decision would be made on reopening.

— The Associated Press