Recently security cameras at a Miami Beach gas station caught a man in the act of skimming. Within a few seconds he is able to perform this low level hack. The man next to him appears to distract the clerk while he quickly places a credit card skimmer over the credit card payment terminal. They probably hyped themselves up in the car to do this listening to Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s “Get Money”
What is Skimming?
Skimming is an act of using a hacking device (skimmer) to illegally collect data from the magnetic stripe of a debit, credit or ATM card. Skimming devices are placed over or inside the actual ATM card scanners and point of sale systems allowing thieves to retrieve account information.
In this video you will see how easy it is to install a “Skimmer”
As you saw in the video, the “hacker” waits until the clerk has her back turned before making his move. In these few seconds, he quickly slips the card skimmer over the payment terminal. The clerk, who was distracted by the partner in crime, never had a chance to see the hacker’s stealthy skimmer install.
This video is a reminder of how careful you have to be when using your credit card in stores, gas stations and other places of commerce. As you can see it won’t take much for a thief to swipe your information.
To avoid becoming a victim of skimming:
Shake the card reader, if it comes loose do not use that machine. Look for loose wires, anything protruding or other oddities like this:
Check the tamper tape on gas station pumps. If the tape appears to be tampered or even removed stay away from that particular pump.
Do your best to remain aware of these types of devices. Knowing this information will keep you alert and aware when it comes to skimming techniques.
Cybergent_101 