We are all familiar with the routine safety tips issued to protect yourself from identity theft, but have you heard about skimming?
WIS is reporting that the Secret Service wants people in the Columbia area to watch out for skimming. It’s a technique people use to steal your credit card information, but one that occurs while the credit card is in your possession.
Officials call it one of the biggest problems facing the credit card industry.
Skimming allows a thief to obtain the information from your debit card or credit card when it is swiped.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Skimming occurs in the midst of a regular swipe of your card. It may be a store clerk swiping your card a second time on a second device or it may even be as tricky as a device inside an ATM or gas pump that takes your information. Then a camera grabs your pin as you type it in.
The Secret Service says the best way to protect yourself is to pay attention, make sure your card is only swiped once at a register, and be careful to cover up the key pad when you type in your pin.
We also suggest that you:
- monitor your bank card and credit card statements for suspicious activity;
- take any duplicate copies of a debit card or credit card receipt;
- physically watch your credit card be processed to the extent possible;
- using a credit monitoring service if you believe that your information has been compromised.
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