16
No Surprises: Credit Card Skimming Prevention
No comments · Posted by admin in Identity Theft, Scams
It is way easier to nab the 16 digits and corresponding information from your credit card than you ever thought. You and millions of other Americans give their plastic to strangers several times a day. Bartenders, servers, hotel clerks, cab drivers, coffee shop baristas, or even movie theater ticket counter personnel can grab your info.
The device is called a skimmer. The credit card skimmer takes seconds to us, and what’s worse, you almost never know it happened. The handheld models are responsible for this type of identity theft. The best way to avoid becoming a victim is to use cash when these transactions arise. Do not let your card out of your sight and be able to identify a skimmer.
Authorities are not taking this lightly, but you should also abandon the routines that making yourself vulnerable. Last month an employee of the Cheesecake Factory was arrested and pled guilty to the charge of committing bank fraud and for her involvement in a card-skimming scheme in Washington state. Nicole Ward now faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
Handheld skimmers are not the only threat. ATMs and Red Box units have been recently rigged with scanners/skimmers which are placed on the machine in hopes of getting accidental use. In some cases, they are just placed on or by the real card reader. A person swipes their card, nothing happens, and so they try the other slot. The damage has already been done. Other times they are placed directly over the real slot, so it both steals your info and still allows your card to be read by the real ATM on the backside.
It’s not an urban legend. It really happens. Some may even use wireless hacks. Snopes.com breaks the scam down here.
Best way to not become a victim? Be aware of your surroundings at the ATM. Don’t use it if it looks different that prior visits. Go inside at the bank and use banks where the teller scanner is on your side of the counter. Finally, use cash when possible and never let your card out of your sight. Also, keep your savings and debit accounts separate. Transfer funds on an as-needed basis.
No tags
