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Thinking Twice About Using Your Debit Card

CNN has scarred me from using my debit card.

The cable news network’s story on skimming makes me want to cut-up my card and use cash only for purchases.

For those of you who missed CNN’s piece (or similar stories broadcast on other networks), skimming is a practice perfected by thieves looking to capture your bank card information by sliding it through a special machine. The device, which is often placed over real card slots at ATMs and other payment terminals, reads the card’s magnetic strip and basically gives complete strangers access to your checking account.

According to financial service experts, skimming occurs most frequently on outdoor ATMs. Since the machines are left unattended, anyone can walk up to them and add a skimming device. To avoid becoming a victim of skimming experts recommend using ATM machines that are located inside a bank or retailer. However, if you are forced to use a machine that is placed outdoors, select one that is located in a well-lit, high-traffic area. Also, keep in mind that ATM vestibules are no longer risk-free when it comes to skimming. Police records show that even the card terminals that you have to use to get into ATM vestibules are being used as skimming sites by criminals.

Another hot spot for skimmers is the gas station. Experts call outdoor pay-at-the-pump terminals “danger zones” for debit card users. Apparently, thieves rig the machines, and then sit across the street with a laptop and an antenna and pick up all the information they need from your one transaction to steal money from your bank account.

In other situations where thieves can’t duplicate your debit card’s magnetic strip, they employ the use of hidden cameras to steal your PIN. Police say they have seen an increase in the number of cases where tiny cameras have been installed near ATMs and other terminals. Thieves use the cameras to capture footage of debit card users entering their PINs and then drain their checking accounts.

If that doesn’t scare you into cutting up your debit card, police say to be vigilant when using an ATM or other card reading device. Experts maintain that you can spot skimmers by carefully checking for ATM components that look beat-up, damaged or appear to be installed crookedly.

This entry was posted in Debit Cards by Michele Cheplic. Bookmark the permalink.

About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.