Right but we're working with incomplete information. Who mandates the use of those pumps? Are better, more secure pumps available? Do the gasoline suppliers mandate that certain pumps are used? etc. etc.
So it's not clear that these things are purely under the gas stations control and that a simple fine would solve the issue.
Alternative solutions might include:
1. Mandating stronger security certification of public facing card readers.
2. The police more aggressively prosecuting these offenses (raising the cost to criminals who are caught and making the offense less profitable).
I don't have complete information, so it's not clear to me which solution is best. But it doesn't seem obvious and simple.
Here in Oregon, it's state law that only gas station attendants can fill vehicles. It seems that this would prevent some of this, but of course it doesn't prevent the skimmer from being installed after hours or by the attendants themselves..
> Essentially, the perpetrator opens a pump using one of a few master keys, unplugs the credit card reader from the main pump controller, plugs the card reader into the skimmer and plugs the skimmer back into the pump controller. This reportedly takes less than 30 seconds.
So I'd say that at least those stations whose pumps can be opened easily with a master key should be liable if their careless handling of customer data leaks credit card details to skimmers. A fine would put additional pressure on the pumps with the worst security and might eventually lead to widespread deployment of something like the alarm system proposed at the end of the article.