When Paying With Your ATM Card, Never Take Your Eyes Off The Cashier

When we go out to public places, the risk of encountering pickpockets is so high. No matter how careful we are, criminals still find ways to do bad things. It’s a jungle out there and our only weapon is vigilance.

Many people leave their cash at home and carry credit cards and ATM cards when doing transactions. For them, it is much better to carry cards that hold no value or purpose to thieves than have their cold cash stolen. But if you think these cards mean nothing to the bad guys, think again.

The “skimming” scam has plagued credit and debit card owners all over the U.S. and UK for years now.

In the said scam, cashier personnel swipe customers’ cards twice – one is for the actual billing transaction and the other is to obtain personal information that can be used against the owner.

With all the machines in the cashier, one would not notice that their cards are being swiped twice. Aside from that, customers are not really fully aware about the process of using those machines so generally, the modus looks harmless.

In a report by ABC News, they showed a footage of a store staff swiping the customer’s card twice. It seemed like he was doing his job ordinarily, but the truth is, a fraudulent act has just been done in a matter of seconds.

Watch the report here:

According to ABC, the skimming scam accounts for 80 percent of the $1 billion ATM fraud per year in the U.S.

Folks, be careful. Always keep an eye on your cards when you hand them to cashier staff. When using your ATM, look for suspicious card slots in the machine as this may be the fraudulent pocket-sized skimming device already.

Be vigilant, stay alert and take extra caution always. Please share this post to your family and friends to let them know!