Foil ATM Card Skimmers By Covering Your Hand When Entering Your PIN


We’ve shown you how to spot an ATM skimmer, but now that debit card thieves are dealing with a savvy bunch they’ve decided to step up their game. The latest technology is much harder to detect, but you can foil it pretty easily by just covering your hand when you enter your PIN.

Image: manzrussali (Shutterstock).

Brian Krebs, in a post on his security blog, offers up several pictures of these new skimmers that look pretty much identical to any slot on the ATM. Although there’s very little you can do to stop the skimmer from reading your card number, you can avoid leaking your pin to the tiny digital camera inside. It records the numbers you push on the keypad, so covering your hand when you enter your PIN can block its line of sight. This is a good practice, anyhow, just in case you’ve got someone lurking over your shoulder.

All in all, you don’t want to be overly paranoid because sometimes you have to use an ATM machine. That said, be cautious about covering up your PIN and avoid ATMs unless you need one. Remember that you can safely withdraw money when you make a purchase at the supermarket and that paying with a credit card whenever possible is not only a safer option but can earn you rewards points. Keeping those things in mind, you shouldn’t have too much to worry about.

Skimtacular: All-in-One ATM Skimmer [Krebs on Security via Consumerist]


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