NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Investigators are calling it an organized scheme, a high-tech crime that's hitting people across the state, and it may be happening when drivers swipe their card at the pump.

Pamela Thompson fears her debit card and personal identification numbers became public.

"It's gut-wrenching," she said, "because you don't know who it is or you don't know how they did it."

Metro police want to know if Thompson is a victim of a crime called skimming. It happens when con artists place a device on a card swipe and use it to gather digits and combinations.

In Thompson's case, it appears her information was used to get nearly $1,000 in funds or fuel in Kingston Springs, Stanton and Dickson -- quite a haul from her Davidson County home.

"Your heart sinks, because you don't know what other information they have," said Thompson.

Investigators believe there are victims from Nashville, Knoxville and many cities in between.

"With the large area that they're covering, again, that kind of lends itself that it is a single group that's working," said Det. Ryan Catron of Metro Police.

Police said as many as 150 people may have been hit so far statewide.

"It would be possible maybe that there is a device where they wouldn't be able see it, but our experience thus far has lended towards devices that you could physically see," said Catron.

Thompson's bank is covering the lost funds.

"It makes me pretty angry and really upset, and, you know, I hope they catch them," she said.

The IT department of a Hermitage station police inspected is aware of the scheme. No skimming devices were found there.

Police said this crime can be sophisticated. In some cases, hidden cameras could be used to capture a card's PIN.

Police are waiting for security tapes from some of the possible crime scenes to see if there are any clues and any indications there is more than skimming.