Six charged in suburban gas station skimming scheme

Six Floridians are facing several felony theft charges in Illinois after authorities said they used credit card skimming devices on gas pumps at more than 100 service stations throughout the suburbs to bilk consumers out of more than $200,000.

All six have been arrested, according to officials from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office. Investigators from Madigan's office worked with U.S. Secret Service agents to track down the defendants, who hail from Tampa, Florida, according to court papers.

Authorities said that between April and November 2015, the six defendants placed devices on gas pumps at service stations in Cook, DuPage, Kane and Lake counties that allowed them to duplicate credit cards of their more than 170 victims.

A news release from Madigan's office stated the case broke when an American Express employee detected suspicious activity on multiple accounts that could be traced back to a gas station in Glencoe.

Authorities believe the six also used skimmers at gas stations in Michigan and Georgia.