What you need to know about card skimming
09 Aug 2014 • engadget.comA skimmer in the ATM world usually features two important pieces of hardware: A micro camera positioned within eyesight of the keypad, and a magnetic card reading device that captures your card’s details. To “clone” – duplicate – your card, this is all the info a would-be thief needs. The scenario is, sadly, very simple: You wander up to your local ATM, pop your card in and a device captures your card details; next you type in your PIN and that’s captured on camera. You carry on with your day, business as usual, but in the following weeks you’ll get a call from the bank or credit card company about “strange” transactions on your account. Perhaps you’ve heard this story before?
Should I be worried about buying gas and having my credit card number stolen? Seems even simpler - no PIN, same type of magnetic scanner.