Credit/debit card skimmers

[HFWR]

First thing on the errand list today was to go by the credit union ATM to replenish the folding money stash.

While performing the aforementioned task, I noticed, as I inserted then removed my card, that the front of the cardreader appeared to be misaligned/loose. So I investigated further, and the thing came off in my hand. It was a piece part that looked just like the "real" front, with a chip of some sort and a bit of other circuitry.

I scanned my card again, and everything worked, which verified in my mind that it was indeed a skimmer. I parked, and went inside to report it to the manager on duty. Hopefully, some police work, and a review of the security cam, will result in some "justice"...

 

[audreyh1]

Wow - this was in the drive through at the credit union?

Glad you spotted it!

 

[Alan]

Great spot, well done.

 

[HFWR]

You're not paranoid if they really are out to get you...

 

[braumeister]

Great story!
But just the other day I was reading about a different type of skimmer. If a gas pump is not secure (and many at smaller independent stations are not), it takes approximately two minutes to open it up and install a skimmer inside that is completely undetectable from the outside.

Apparently, around here they drive a U-Haul truck up to block the view of the pump, install the skimmer and go on their way, returning to read it at a later date.

 

[winger]

I'm unclear about skimmers. If there is a skimmer on the gas pump, will it keep my card from working on the pump card reader? Thinking I wouldn't be able to push it far enough in......

 

[braumeister]

I'm unclear about skimmers. If there is a skimmer on the gas pump, will it keep my card from working on the pump card reader? Thinking I wouldn't be able to push it far enough in......

No, you'll probably never know you used one until your card is used to buy an $800 item in a city you've never visited.

 

[W2R]

Wow, HFWR, that's amazing! Good job in spotting that skimmer and I hope they caught whoever put it there.

 

[HFWR]

I'm unclear about skimmers. If there is a skimmer on the gas pump, will it keep my card from working on the pump card reader? Thinking I wouldn't be able to push it far enough in......

This thing was molded to fit right over the real one, and was maybe 1/8" thick, so hardly noticeable, and didn't interfere with the ATM reader. If it hadn't been a bit loose and misaligned, I might not have noticed. Luckily, the awareness of the possibility probably helped me to notice it.

 

[karen1972]

awesome you caught it, I know I had a friend in Chicago that got caught 3 times on those scams. I never looked into the secure wallets until my honey got all 3 of his cards skimmed by a reader this year.. having one card having a mysterious $300 purchase on it is one thing; having every card on your wallet jeapordized made our paranoia level go to an all time high.

 

[Tailgate]

is the chip going to help with this issue?

 

[Rustic23]

I don't know, but I have not seen a single gas pump capable of using the chip. I guess it could end pay at the pump and force everyone inside.

 

[HFWR]

is the chip going to help with this issue?

Not sure, but I think this device might have been reading the chip. Didn't notice anything that looked like a tape head, like a magnetic strip reader would have.

The ATM would still require a PIN, but with the cardholder's name, plus the CC number and CID number, they could likely use it online.

 

[Alan]

No, you'll probably never know you used one until your card is used to buy an $800 item in a city you've never visited.

Happened like that to me in 2013.

is the chip going to help with this issue?

While cards and readers have magnetic stripes as well as chips it won't help. Even if you are using a chip card in a chip reader the machine can have an overlay as described above so the motion of pushing your card into the chip slot will read the magnetic strip on your card.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Happened like that to me in 2013.



While cards and readers have magnetic stripes as well as chips it won't help. Even if you are using a chip card in a chip reader the machine can have an overlay as described above so the motion of pushing your card into the chip slot will read the magnetic strip on your card.

Doesn't matter. The crooks are two steps behind the banks in the technology. The only real defense is to not use an ATM at all or have a bank that's fabulous with the fraud policies. When I need cash, I go in the bank and withdraw from a teller. I pretty much stay away from all ATMs.

Krebs security has a lot of information. At the end of this article, they discuss the chip skimming readers that are out there.

http://krebsonsecurity.com/category/all-about-skimmers/

Sent from my mobile device so please excuse grammatical errors.

 

[meierlde]

Happened like that to me in 2013.



While cards and readers have magnetic stripes as well as chips it won't help. Even if you are using a chip card in a chip reader the machine can have an overlay as described above so the motion of pushing your card into the chip slot will read the magnetic strip on your card.

It depends on how the reader is set up. If you use the ones at walmart, the card only goes in deep enough to read the chip, not to read the strip. If the atm is set up with 2 slots one for strips and one for chips then it will be much harder to get the strip contents.

 

[Ronnieboy]

That was a good catch. After reading about skimming a few years ago, my big technical way of combating it has been to grab the card reader and trying to wiggle it off before I stick my card in

If it is secure then I go ahead and use the ATM. While I know that is no guarantee, that is about the best I can do without going to a no ATM policy. Sounds like the gas pump skimmer would pass that test. I noticed at my local Costco they have tamper proof tape on their locks, I guess that is the reason.

 

[audreyh1]

If my cc info is stolen, it's a small inconvenience as I am protected by the cc company, and won't pay anything extra. Mainly have to deal with switching cards.

If my ATM card info is stolen, my bank account is directly accessible by someone else - that's far more serious and takes a long time to clean up. In the meantime I might have to deal with bounced checks, suspended bill pay, and loss of funds.

So I don't use my ATM card at gas pumps, but people finding skimmers at bank/credit union branch ATMs makes me very, very nervous.

 

[target2019]

Chip cards are more secure. Until they are not.

I wrote in the card industry for a while (2002). One interesting fact I came across was how hackers were hot wiring chips. The security is much improved now, however.

 

[harley]

This thing was molded to fit right over the real one, and was maybe 1/8" thick, so hardly noticeable, and didn't interfere with the ATM reader. If it hadn't been a bit loose and misaligned, I might not have noticed. Luckily, the awareness of the possibility probably helped me to notice it.

Can you send it back to me? Those things aren't cheap, you know.

 

[braumeister]

Like many here, I normally use an ATM to get cash when traveling, especially in Europe. I always try to use an ATM that is inside a bank building instead of the ubiquitous machines on the sidewalk. No idea whether this is silly or not, but I've never had a card compromised when doing it, plus I feel safer pocketing the cash in the bank building.

 

[SkisALot]

If my cc info is stolen, it's a small inconvenience as I am protected by the cc company,

Don't count on it.

 

[scrabbler1]

Ronnieboy, I also grab the card reader at ATMs and try to wiggle it LOL!


Audrey, I pay cash when I buy gas because there is a cash discount of 15 or 20 cents per gallon which outweighs any cashback discount on my CC. I don't want to chance any issues of CC info being captured, too, as gas pumps are hotbeds of CC thievery.

 

[kcowan]

Don't count on it.

+1

They will blame the merchant. Otherwise CC fees will quickly escalate over 10% and we will all pay! Anything beyond 0.5% for a merchant fee is to cover losses!

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I think the only decent solution is where the cc information changes as it's used. I know the technology is there, just not very widely used...yet.