What’s a skimmer? Why should I care? And what’s a skimmer again? A skimmer is a device attached to an ATM that looks like part of the card swiper on the machine but is an extra piece designed to copy your ATM card info as you use it to get cash. They have also been found on gas pumps. The scam/theft is simple. The thief puts a skimmer on the machine and then waits for you to use it. When you do, the skimmer copies your card info and he generally watches from a distance to get your PIN number. As soon as you leave, he makes a copy of your card and hits every ATM he can to clean out your account. He will keep using your card until you notice something is wrong and call the bank.
The bank will cancel your card for you and send you a new one (in 5 to 10 business days), but may or may not refund your money. The bank will take the position that you took out the money and are now trying to steal from the bank. Most cases I’ve seen the bank will finally give up and replace the money after about a month and you doing tons of paper work for them, and making you get the police involved. In the mean time, you don’t have the money, some criminal does.
To avoid this scam, there are a couple things you can do. First, look around as you go up the machine. You should be doing this anyways for your own personal safety. If there is someone just hanging out, don’t use that machine, go somewhere else. The couple minutes it will cost you to find another ATM is far better than getting robbed.
Before you use an ATM in a public place, look at the area you stick your card in. Does it look right? Is it bigger than it should be? Grab ahold of it and wiggle. Does it move? Look the entire machine over. Some criminals are getting high tech and instead of watching they install a little extra camera on the machine to capture your PIN. If it looks wrong, don’t put you card in the machine. Go to the one down the street or next to it. If you do find a skimmer, call the police and the bank. The police may or may not care, but you tried. The bank will care. It’s lots of money for them when one is installed.
Last, cover your hand when you enter your pin number. This makes it hard for anyone to see your number and hopefully keep you from being the victim of someone stealing money from your account.
Just as a general reminder, you should be extra careful when getting money from the ATM. You are alone and have access to all your money. Criminals will kill the night clerk at the 7-Eleven for $20, you can get at least $300 from your ATM.
Stay Safe,
Ben