Card Skimming

What does Card Skimming mean?

Card skimming is the illegal copying of information from the magnetic strips found on credit and debit cards. Card skimming is considered a more direct version of a phishing scam. Store clerks who skim cards may do so by having customers swipe their cards more than once, or by taking the card to another location within the store. Card skimming may also occur when a perpetrator rigs an ATM with a card skimmer. The end result of card skimming is unauthorized access to finances through the technique of illegal copying of debit and credit cards

How It Actually WOrks....

Credit card skimming is a type of credit card theft where crooks use a small device to steal credit card information in an otherwise legitimate credit or debit card transaction.

When a credit or debit card is swiped through a skimmer, the device captures and stores all the details stored in the card's magnetic stripe. The stripe contains the credit card number and expiration date and the credit card holder's full name. Thieves use the stolen data to make fraudulent charges either online or with a counterfeit credit card. 

Credit card skimmers are often placed over the card swipe mechanism on ATMs and gas stations, but they skimmers can be placed over almost any type of credit card reader. With ATMs, the crooks may also place a small, undetectable camera nearby to record you entering your PIN. This gives the thief all the information needed to make fake cards and withdraw cash from the cardholder's checking account.

Occasionally, certain retail and restaurant workers who handle credit cards are recruited to be part of a skimming ring. These workers use a handheld device to skim your credit card during a normal transaction.

For example, we routinely hand our cards over to waiters to cover the check for a restaurant. The waiter walks away with our credit cards and, for a dishonest waiter, this is the perfect opportunity to swipe the credit card through a skimmer without being detected.

Once the victim's credit card information is stolen, thieves will either create cloned credit card to make purchases in store, use the account to make online purchases, or sell the information on the internet.

 Victims of credit card skimming are often unaware of the theft until they notice unauthorized charges on their account, have their card unexpectedly declined, or receive an overdraft notification in the mail..