Are you cautious about your debit/credit cards?
Do you take
the highest privacy settings on your computer or at the grocery store?
Have you
ever heard of card skimming?
Card Skimming
Card skimming has been going on for a while, and it only
involves the swiping of your cards. This is when your credit/debit card is
swiped and your information is scanned to a card reader and recorded. From
there, it is sold to scammers on the black market or made into a forgery credit
card and used to make fraudulent purchases. Card skimming can happen from a
device that is purchased for $50 online. It is installed on the swipe machines
at the grocery stores, department stores, gas stations, or anywhere else that you can swipe
your cards. It is installed on the machine, and then they watch you type in
your PIN number. The most common way
card skimming happens is in ATM machines.
Hackers will install a faceplate over the place where you slide your
card in, and it will read the magnetic strip. They will also have someone
hovering around you to get your PIN number or have already installed a hidden
camera that records you putting in your PIN number into the ATM machine. Make
sure you take precautions whenever you use your debit/credit cards.
Protect Yourself
1.
Review your Bank Statements – You’ll never know
if someone has stolen your credit card unless you check your statement or
balance every day. Get into a habit of checking your balance online every night
and review your bank statement to check balances or suspicious activity.
2.
Watch your card – If you’re handing over your
credit/debit card to an employee, never take your eyes off of it. Make sure
they don’t swipe it into other machines other than their computer.
3.
Cover the keypad – When typing in your PIN
number, cover the keypad. Put your hand over the numbers. Do whatever you can
for other people not to be able to see your PIN number.
4.
Be aware of your surroundings – If the ATM you
are going to use or the store you are at does not look safe or secure, make
sure you think about this before using your credit/debit card. Trust your instincts. If you notice something suspicious, make sure you tell whoever is in charge of either the ATM machine, or store.
5. Pay in person - If possible, instead of giving your card to the waitress/waiter, take your card to the cashier and watch them swipe your card. Make sure they don't write down numbers or swipe it on another machine.
Sources:
Datko, Karen. “10 Tips to Save you from an ATM Skimmer.” MSNMoney. MSN, 7 July 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.http://money.msn.com/identity-theft/article.aspx?post=00000065-0000-0000-0724-1b0000000000
“Debit and Credit Card Skimming.” PrivacySensenet. PrivacySense.net, 2011.
Web. 20
Oct. 2013. http://www.privacysense.net/debit-and-credit-card-skimming/
Lipka, Mitch. “5 Ways to Protect Against ATM Skimming.” MSNMoney. MSN, 1
Apr. 2013.
Web. 20 Oct. 2013.http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=bc3e8768-ca31-41e9-8459-95715b8ab06a
I knew a classmate in high school that stole over $500,000 from numerous customers while working a part time job through this practice, so has there been any efforts recently to safeguard consumers from this practice?
ReplyDeleteEric,
DeleteMost consumers know about this scam, however, it's hard to protect against it. Most of them are doing whatever they can to not let it happen to their costumers. Just watch out for the "sketchy" places using your credit/debit card.
Karen
Very informative. Seem like common sense practices, but I bet we rarely think about them.
ReplyDeleteI never let a waiter/waitress take my card. I always try and pay with cash when at a restaurant.
Jay,
DeleteI myself, don't really think twice about handing my card to the waitress at a restaurant. I just want them to go ahead and swipe it and get it over with. This is definitely informative because now I will not take my eyes of my card!!
Karen
Yep, this definitely happens. I've had my card information stolen twice now! Not sure how it happened the first time. I got a call from my bank that someone in Europe was making large purchases, which means my information must have been sold. The second time it happened, I can pinpoint exactly when/where it happened. My friend and I were both at a restaurant and both paid separately. Both of us had our card information stolen later and people in Kentucky were using both our cards to make unusually large purchases at the same types of places! Apparently, they had a pretty elaborate scheme that was being run from that restaurant! I'm not sure exactly how it works, but the restaurant did not require a pin number, just a signature. So, maybe the criminals were able to use just our card numbers without a pin number in Kentucky. Also, I've recently begun to see card swipers/readers outside of drive through windows. Seems to me that this would be a pretty good place for a crook to put one of these card skimming devices! Not good!
ReplyDeleteVeronica,
ReplyDeleteExcellent point. I completely forgot about the new drive through payment options, but you are exactly right! With those card readers being available to them 24-7, this is a perfect place for them to hook up the card skimming devices into those machines.
Thanks for you comment!
Karen
I had never heard of card skimming. It is crazy how people can get ahold of your information these days. Thank you so much for the post! Great info.
ReplyDeleteIt happened to me last year when I found a unknown purchase was made in a gas station where I had never been to, though it was a small amount. Then I called the bank, they suggested me change my card. I still don't know how they got my card information, they are professional in what they do, I have to say.
ReplyDeleteJian,
DeleteThis is probably the way that they got your card information. It's used anywhere. They have a video on YouTube with people taking apart their cash station pumps to see if the skimming devices are in their machines. It's hard to find them. They aren't obvious to find. You just have to be careful!