If that seal is broken or looks off, it’s a sign the reader could be compromised. Finally, some gas pumps have a security tape that seals the card reader. The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs also recommends studying the keypad for a raised surface or a strange color-a thief could have tampered with the keypad to record personal information as it’s typed in. Try wiggling the keypad or the card slot if it’s loose or seems unstable, don’t use it. If you have to insert the whole thing, you can still get your data stolen from the magnetic stripe.įinally, look at the actual ATM or sale terminal. These are marginally more secure than old-school cards, but only if you insert just the chip portion of the card into a reader. If you can’t get cash, use the Venmo app to pay back a friend.Īlso, you’re better off with a chip card than just a plain old magnetic stripe, says Owen Wild, director of marketing for security solutions at NCR Corporation. So how can you protect yourself? First, stay away from those remote gas stations and nonbank ATMs. “We have convenient access to our money 24/7, but so do scammers.” “People really need to pay attention,” Katherine Hutt, a spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau, told Consumer Reports. You could be on the hook for $50, $500 or the entire amount of withdrawal or unauthorized purchases. The sooner you notify your bank, the better. If you do realize that your card has been hacked or tampered with, you need to act fast. But now, many newer versions of skimmers can send data wirelessly to the criminals, who can then make duplicate debit cards and wreak havoc with them. Occasionally, thieves get caught when they return to the scene of the crime to retrieve the skimmers (and the data within them). It’s also more likely you’ll have your information stolen at places like remote gas stations or other “out-of-the-way merchants,” says Michael Betron, a FICO senior product manager. You’re at a much greater risk for this kind of financial theft if you use nonbank ATMs, like the ones in convenience stores and hotel lobbies. On top of that, the number of card readers at the same kinds of locations that were hacked went up by 30 percent. There was a 70 percent increase in the number of compromised debit cards at ATMs and card readers in 2016. “So we will continue to see increases in compromises and the speed at which they occur.”Īnd according to a recent study from FICO Card Alert Services, this sort of financial theft is a huge-and growing-problem. Horan, vice president of fraud solutions at FICO Card Alert Services, told Consumer Reports in an interview. “As the last few years have proven, skimming technology and know-how have improved and are more accessible to the general population,” T.J.
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