Florida's skimmers
I was reading my news from Webroot and need to ask a question about one of the articles. I really don't want to sound dumb but what are skimmers? The article was talking about Florida finding 103 of these skimmers at gas stations. Please help me understand what this is so I know if what I'm thinking they are is right. I truly appreciate an answer from anyone in the community. Thank You, Homebound60
Hi homeboud60
Welcome to the Community Forums.
There is no such thing as a 'silly' question when it comes to matters of security. If one is uncertain then it is best to ask...as you have done. :D
'Skimmers' are devices that are extremely thin, virtually invisible, yet containing a processor & video camera, which nefarious individuals attach to, usually the card slot, of an ATM, for the express purpose of recording the details of the security devices related to the use of the card.
So when you enter your card into the ATM not only does the ATM read it but the 'skimmer' records the relevant information on it, and stores that...plus on the really sophisticated versions the camera records the PIN code entered. The person(s) who planted it then comes back later, retrieves the device, reads what it has recorded and with the right equipment can create facsimiles of the cards that have been 'skimmed' by the device...and then use them to make illicit withdrawal, etc., from the victims account(s), etc.
For some more information on this please see this online newspaper article (here). And if you are interested in knowing more then just Google 'skimmers' and you should find plenty more on the subject.
Hope that helps?
Regards, Baldrick
Welcome to the Community Forums.
There is no such thing as a 'silly' question when it comes to matters of security. If one is uncertain then it is best to ask...as you have done. :D
'Skimmers' are devices that are extremely thin, virtually invisible, yet containing a processor & video camera, which nefarious individuals attach to, usually the card slot, of an ATM, for the express purpose of recording the details of the security devices related to the use of the card.
So when you enter your card into the ATM not only does the ATM read it but the 'skimmer' records the relevant information on it, and stores that...plus on the really sophisticated versions the camera records the PIN code entered. The person(s) who planted it then comes back later, retrieves the device, reads what it has recorded and with the right equipment can create facsimiles of the cards that have been 'skimmed' by the device...and then use them to make illicit withdrawal, etc., from the victims account(s), etc.
For some more information on this please see this online newspaper article (here). And if you are interested in knowing more then just Google 'skimmers' and you should find plenty more on the subject.
Hope that helps?
Regards, Baldrick
Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete Beta Tester v9.0.24.49, imaged by Macrium Reflect v7.2
+56Thanks for that perfect explanation Baldrick!
One other thing to mention is that if you are concerned as to whether your credit card information has been stolen this way, you can always contact your bank or credit union and they'll issue you a new card. They also keep an eye out for illicit activity and will contact you if they see your card being used in another country. For example recently my credit union just issued me a new card out of the blue because they detected such activity.
One other thing to mention is that if you are concerned as to whether your credit card information has been stolen this way, you can always contact your bank or credit union and they'll issue you a new card. They also keep an eye out for illicit activity and will contact you if they see your card being used in another country. For example recently my credit union just issued me a new card out of the blue because they detected such activity.
Hi homeboud60, Welcome to the Webroot Community Forum. :D
Another thing to mention is with all these scams and stolen ID on credit cards it is best to check all your money accounts at least once a week such activity. I may be a little paranoid about my money accounts because I check all of them at least 2 times a day. First thing in the morning and before retiring at night and maybe in the afternoon.@ my credit union notified me last year about the same illicit activity from another country (China) they had a charge pending of $1.75. The credit union shut down the credit card. The scammers will take a small amount of money first. If the withdrawal goes through, the next one will be the big one. This also happen to me at my bank (BoA) about 3 years ago. The bank never notified me. Credit Union all the way now for me.
Another thing to mention is with all these scams and stolen ID on credit cards it is best to check all your money accounts at least once a week such activity. I may be a little paranoid about my money accounts because I check all of them at least 2 times a day. First thing in the morning and before retiring at night and maybe in the afternoon.
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+56Some bank/credit unions are more diligent about it than others. One thing you can do is let them know any time you are going to make an unusual purchase or be traveling out of the country. That way they don't lock your card down when you're in the middle of a vacation. My dad lives in Australia, so for xmas I often order from an Australian online store so that the shipping is local (and therefore faster and cheaper). Every year my credit union would lock my card when I did that, so I had to start telling them in advance 🙂
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