One Step Ahead: Almanac Security Tips - 2013

Table of Contents (view all)

Spring Cleaning Your Office? Know What to Do with E-Waste
Keep Your Identity Safe When Filing Taxes This Year
Why use Penn+Box when Storing Data in the Cloud
Mobile Device Security - 3 Recommendations for Cloud Users (Hint: That's You!)
Be Aware of QR Code Risks
It’s Data Privacy Month: Update Your Facebook Privacy Settings and More
How Are You Celebrating Data Privacy Month?
Stay Secure while Working on Public Wi-Fi Networks
Protecting Your Finances During This Year's Holiday Shopping Season
Cloud and You
Security and Privacy Online Training & Tools
October: Free Secure Disposal of Paper and Electronics at Employee Resource Fair; NCSAM
Student Privacy - What Do I Need To Know? A FERPA Reminder
Top 10 Tips for Securing Your Smartphone or Tablet
Working Off Campus? Some Tips to Consider

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Tagged with identity theft , credit card theft , security

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 - Almanac Vol. 55, No. 18

Credit Card Theft: "Skimming"

Over the last couple of years there have been several reports in the media about "skimmers" found attached to ATM machines and credit-pay gas pumps in the Philadelphia region, notably at several Wawa convenience stores. Skimmers are small electronic devices which read, store and, in some cases, transmit the digital information from the magnetic stripe of any credit or debit card passed through it: name, account number, expiration date, etc. Skimming has become a major factor in the growth of credit card and identity theft over the last decade, and it's certainly not limited to convenience stores. Any commercial or financial business where credit card readers are present is a potential target for skimming, including restaurants. In 1999, two waiters in a New York City restaurant were convicted of skimming more than $300,000 from diners.

This highlights the fact that “skimming” is often an inside job carried out by one or more employees of the business, either on their own or in collaboration with outsiders. The devices used can range from 'snapover" readers that fit on top of the legitimate reader to small pocket-sized devices that can be easily concealed and used by crooked waiters, clerks, etc. A similar device called a "card trap" installed on an ATM will fit over the card slot. An inserted card will not be returned, and when the frustrated customer gives up and leaves, the device is simply removed by the skimmer, who now has a valid credit card (and possibly even a PIN, if he’s been "shoulder surfing").

Detecting skimming and card trapping is very difficult, and many victims only discover it when their statements arrive. Here are a few suggestions from law enforcement experts in this field to help combat it, though:

• Try to limit your ATM use to a few machines with which you are familiar (and better prepared to notice when something is different) and/or machines that are in more secure, controlled areas (such as bank lobbies or vestibules). Also, ATM's with security cameras are less vulnerable.
• When paying by credit card in person, be observant of how the employee handles your card, and try not to let the card be out of your sight.
• Many credit card companies are now issuing cards on which the information on the stripe is encrypted. Check with your card issuer to see if they currently do this, and if not, when they plan to implement it.
• Above all, check your account statements as soon as they arrive, and report any discrepancies immediately. Law enforcement authorities cite timely reporting as the major factor in identifying and prosecuting skimmers.