Credit Card 'Skimmers' Found at County Gas Stations

The skimmer found at the Dalton Avenue Cumberland Farms. The device covers the keypad on the credit card reader to intercept card and personal identification number. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A credit card "skimmer" was found at the Dalton Avenue Cumberland Farms on Friday.  Police are urging customers who used their credit cards at the store over the last 10 days to contact their provider immediately.

This is just one day after a similar device was found at Cumberland Farms in Great Barrington. An employee found it attached to the Pittsfield location's card machine and called the police.

"This device was found placed at Register 1 inside the store, and with information gathered so far it appears it had been placed there on September 4th in the morning hours," the Pittsfield Police Department wrote on Facebook.

"If you used your credit/debit at the store from September 4th until today, we would advise you to immediately contact your card provider to have a new card issued. We would also advise those folks to check their transactions to see if any suspicious charges are found."

Skimming occurs when devices illegally installed on or inside ATMs, point-of-sale terminals, or fuel pumps capture card data and record cardholders' PIN entries. This is then used to create fake payment cards and then make unauthorized purchases or steal from victims' accounts.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that skimming costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion annually.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.