Credit card skimming is rampant and rising, but until very recently, I didn’t even know what it was. I first became aware of it when my sister cautioned me not to use self-checkout registers at stores that don’t take Apple Pay.
She is one of a growing number of Americans who have experienced credit card skimming — a type of fraud that involves stealing your credit or debit card information from ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) systems, and fuel pumps. The problem is big, and it’s getting bigger: FICO reports that debit card skimming grew 96 percent year over year in 2023, with more than 315,000 compromised cards identified.
In other words, if you use credit or debit cards at all (and that’s most of us), your information is a potential target. As with many types of fraud, knowledge is your best defense.
Below is a practical guide to what skimmers are, where they’re usually found, how to spot them, the habits that keep you safer, and what to do if you suspect your card has been skimmed.
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