Credit card skimmers

spock123 · 07-03-2018, 08:48 PM

Just saw a story about credit card skimmers. The story was about how someone steals your credit card numbers when you are pumping fuel. The story really didn’t tell you what to look for. It said the best way to protect yourself was pay with cash. The first thing I thought of was someone stealing my money, fuel isn’t cheap.

DavidBo · 07-03-2018, 09:13 PM

Also it's a good idea to never use a debit card at a gas pump. Some ruffian gets control of your debit card they can clean out your savings and checking. That can take some time for the bank to rectify. If they get a hold of your credit card info it's Amex's or Visa's problem now. Plus they have the most protection in place to put a stop to any nefarious activity before it gets out of hand.
It's also wise to take a close look at the card slot. Anything bulky or odd-looking should be cause for concern.

**ependydad** · 07-03-2018, 09:14 PM

I can get errant credit card charges reversed if someone steals my card. I’ve had to do it with 3 or 4 different banks now and it’s been painless each time (that’s not to say it’ll always be that way).

I can’t get a pile of cash back if it blows out the window or gets stolen.

—

I’ve always heard you give a little tug on the card reader itself. There are some internal ones, but they’re rare.

BandJCarm · 07-03-2018, 09:15 PM

Most debit cards are also Visa now, so the same $50 max liability applies to them too.

JohnD10 · 07-03-2018, 09:36 PM

Grab the credit card slot on the gas pump and pull on it toward you.

If it comes off...don't use that pump and alert the gas station!

klrobert · 07-03-2018, 09:50 PM

There was an article in today's news about the crooks using Bluetooth skimmers. The only sign of these is the seal on the pump has been compromised. The police found several of them in our area this week. I always check the seal before pumping fuel. If it is broken, I pre-pay. After reading about these new skimmers, I think I will just pre-pay every time now.

spock123 · 07-04-2018, 07:06 AM

I was really talking about the Bluetooth skimmers, the crooks will make a fake seal and install it on the machine that even the station owners think is the real one. The bad thing for us is being on the road traveling and have to get a new card. The article I was reading said the Secret Service had checked 85 locations and found 59 had been comprised. I guess I’m going to have to start carrying cash and Travelers checks.

Ortep · 07-04-2018, 08:38 AM

Most debit cards are also Visa now, so the same $50 max liability applies to them too. __________________
This is a fallacy, I checked with my bank last week and made the same comment to the bank employee and was told that the crooks CAN access your checking and savings account when you use your debit card as a charge card. This person said (and others have confirmed it) the only way to avoid that kind of trouble to use a charge card at the pump or pay with cash.

BandJCarm · 07-04-2018, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ortep

Most debit cards are also Visa now, so the same $50 max liability applies to them too. __________________
This is a fallacy, I checked with my bank last week and made the same comment to the bank employee and was told that the crooks CAN access your checking and savings account when you use your debit card as a charge card. This person said (and others have confirmed it) the only way to avoid that kind of trouble to use a charge card at the pump or pay with cash.

I would change banks.

This is a direct cut/paste from the Terms and Conditions of my debit account:

Tell us AT ONCE by contacting us as provided in the "Errors or Questions" section of this Agreement if you believe your Access Credentials have been lost or stolen. Telephoning is the best way of keeping your possible losses down. You could lose all your money in your Account (plus your maximum overdraft or margin line of credit). If you tell us within two (2) business days after you learn of the loss or theft, you can lose no more than $50.00 if someone used your Access Credentials without your permission.

nomad297 · 07-04-2018, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ortep

Most debit cards are also Visa now, so the same $50 max liability applies to them too. __________________
This is a fallacy, I checked with my bank last week and made the same comment to the bank employee and was told that the crooks CAN access your checking and savings account when you use your debit card as a charge card. This person said (and others have confirmed it) the only way to avoid that kind of trouble to use a charge card at the pump or pay with cash.

My wife and I have had our debit card accounts (backed by Visa) used illegally many, many times. We have never had to pay a penny of the money that was taken from our accounts — not even the $50.00 liability that somebody mentioned. Our bank usually lets us know there is a problem before we even know it, but we have also found illicit debits that the bank didn’t catch, and we have always been refunded. The bank just cancels our card and sends us a new one next day, via FedEx.

Bruce

BillnLa · 07-04-2018, 10:40 AM

Over the past six months at one particular local station skimmers were found three times. These were the Bluetooth type that get installed inside the gas pump panel. Can't tell by pulling on the card slot. Advice from LEO's was to only use credit card or cash AND to not use the pumps located farthest away from the windows by the cashier. All three times the skimmers were found on the outside of the last row of pumps. And these would likely be the ones used if towing a trailer! Just this morning read on local news site of another station nearby where skimmers were discovered. Someone reported they had over $900 in overseas charges on their card.

BandJCarm · 07-04-2018, 10:42 AM

The same LEO's who don't lift a finger to try and apprehend, much less prosecute, these perps???? They're either caught in the act, or ignored.

DavidBo · 07-04-2018, 10:43 AM

Amex is very diligent as well. My account was hacked more than once and they immediately caught it every time. They would nuke my account and have me a new card usually within a day. Pretty impressive since I use this card for everything and have taken it everywhere. On that note, it's always a good idea to inform your credit provider whenever you leave the country because that's a common trigger to fraud. There are also options available on their websites that will impose user-defined limits and warnings on your account.
I like the cellphone app called CardValet. Any time my debit card is used, even by me, I get an alert on my phone. Pretty handy to have.

wannabeowner · 07-04-2018, 10:54 AM

Like Bruce, we've had our Visa debit card compromised twice. Thieves went on a shopping spree, but a simple call to our bank restored our funds immediately with no liability to us.

In both cases, our cards were copied either at a drive-through, or sit down restaurant. We weren't sure exactly where it happened.

My husband now has a daily alarm on his phone to check the account balance - just to keep an eye on things.

wahoonc · 07-04-2018, 11:02 AM

You can switch your cellphone to blue tooth and see what is in the area...

I travel a lot for work, some 150+ days a year. I average 3-4 hacked credit cards a year. One trip I had 3 go down in a row.

I WOULD not use a debit card for travel. My bride had someone hack hers and they managed to debit $1500 to it in a matter of minutes. We got it locked down immediately, but the bank placed a hold on the account for 72 hours. We only use credit cards for travel and have more than one.

Aaron

lacrawgator · 07-04-2018, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

The same LEO's who don't lift a finger to try and apprehend, much less prosecute, these perps???? They're either caught in the act, or ignored.

so true, this is so frustrating

BillnLa · 07-04-2018, 11:08 AM

[QUOTE=wahoonc;1859767]You can switch your cellphone to blue tooth and see what is in the area...

Now that is an idea that can help! Checking to see what other connections are available. Only takes a minute or so. Thanks!!

BillnLa · 07-04-2018, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

The same LEO's who don't lift a finger to try and apprehend, much less prosecute, these perps???? They're either caught in the act, or ignored.

Actually in the case of the local station, they did arrest three people for those skimmers. Not sure exactly how they did it but it was on one of the local news stations.

pilotpip · 07-04-2018, 12:12 PM

I just got hit a couple weeks ago. This particular card is used only for travel and a couple recurring charges. $2500 charged to it in a matter of hours. The card was frozen by the bank, but they failed to notify me. I didn't know about the charges until about a week later when I logged on to their site to pay my monthly bill. Either cash, or pay inside now.

DavidBo · 07-04-2018, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

The same LEO's who don't lift a finger to try and apprehend, much less prosecute, these perps???? They're either caught in the act, or ignored.

You'd think security cameras would catch this kind of activity, it takes time to set a scam like that up. Pretty much everywhere you go these days at some point you are being recorded.
Other than skimmers, the majority of credit card hacking originates overseas. That makes finding the bad guys, much less prosecuting them, all the more of a challenge.

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