ATM Scams and how to protect yourself
September 22, 2008 – 11:09 amATMs have often been considered a breeding ground for scams. There have been a variety of scams that have been created specifically for the ATM. They are designed to steal your debit card information and supply it to the criminal.
One of the more common scams is the skimmer scam. A skimmer is inserted into the ATM slot where the card is inserted. This device will record your debit card information and then allow you to continue with your business as usual. The criminal still needs your pin number however and to get this he may use a couple of different scams.
One of which is where they place a keypad over the one that is built into the ATM. This allows you to still hit the keys that interact with the machine but also records your pin as you hit the keys. Another way criminals can get your pin is by using their own security camera. If you ever see a camera that looks like it doesn’t belong or is suspicious in any way you should not use the ATM. One of the more obvious ways of obtaining the pin number is called “shoulder surfing”. This is where the criminal will look over your shoulder in order to get your pin number.
In other scams the criminals will actual install an ATM in a location and let people use them. The ATM will record the information that is given to it by the card and then record the pin as you punch it in. Sometimes these ATMs are real ATMs that were bought at auction. Some old ATMs on eBay can sell for as little as $1000.
The best way to prevent this kind of scam is to be alert. Always go to an ATM that is familiar and if there is anything suspicious just walk away. Try to avoid ATMs that are in unusual locations and seem like they are out of place. Make sure that the slot of the ATM will not wiggle back and forth. You can test this by sticking your pinky finger in the slot and wiggling it to make sure that the slot doesn’t wiggle. If it does there may be a skimmer in the slot and you shouldn’t use the ATM. Be cautious of other people looking over your shoulder and make sure to cover your pin with your body and use the knuckle of your middle finger to hit the keys. This makes it hard to tell what number you hit even if they can see your hand.
Tags: ATM scam ID theft
