ATM theft is on the rise and it’s time you fought back!
Professional thieves have figured out how to place skimming devices over ATM Machines. These devices can read the details of your card as you insert it, then rob your bank account blind without you even knowing it.
The latest and most technologically dangerous ATM theft device was discovered at a California ATM earlier this year. From the front, the machine looks almost perfect. But a closer look shows a tiny pinhole where you insert your card, through which a small camera is set to capture your card number and your PIN as it’s typed in.
The all-in-one device is powered by a small phone battery and can record card details and PIN information just as you’re typing it in. Police in California don’t know who’s behind the device, but they acknowledge it is one of many across the country.
So what can you do to protect yourself from ATM theft? Here are some helpful tips:
1. DO NOT USE a stand alone ATM machine, like the ones found outside a convenience store or at a gas station. Those machines could have been placed there by anyone and are often the most vulnerable for thievery. It’s best to use only machines inside the lobby of a bank you know and trust. Almost all bank ATMs have cameras, which often deters thieves from being filmed while installing their fake devices.
2. ALWAYS INSPECT an ATM machine prior to using it. If the slightest thing looks off or suspicious, it’s better to be safe than sorry and simply go to another machine to protect your account.
3. ALWAYS BLOCK the machine while using it. Use all of your body to block the machine so that the screen and all of your information displayed on it will not be visible to anyone else in the vicinity.
4. COVER YOUR HANDS when entering your PIN number. If a tiny camera has been installed on an ATM without your knowledge, the PIN number can’t be detected if you protect the entry of it with a cover up.
5. WATCH YOUR SURROUNDINGS. If someone is lingering near a machine or watching you while you’re trying to use one, leave and go to some other bank. It’s no longer considered rude to mistrust people nearby when it comes to your bank account.
