This is the oldest skimmer scams in the world. It’s how skimming kinda started to begin with. Always tug on the reader and cover your hand with the other when you type in your pin. If possible, use the tap feature instead
A lot of people are all "Oh no! My card number will be wirelessly transmitted!" But it's all encrypted and tokenized for that one transaction, so it doesn't matter if any 3rd party receives that wireless transmission, because it cannot feasibly be used to create new transactions.
But if you swipe your card, that reveals your card number and can be used to generate new transactions.
If your card doesn't support tap & pay, you might be able to call the card issuer and ask for a card that supports it.
If all else fails, use the chip on the card. It's the same technology but wired instead of wireless, although there is more risk of someone skimming your magstripe.
This has been going on for quite awhile now. Every time I use an ATM or any payment device that is outside a store, I tug on the card reader to see if it comes off or is loose in any way. Often they are just stuck there with velcro or adhesive tape.
This is the oldest skimmer scams in the world. It’s how skimming kinda started to begin with. Always tug on the reader and cover your hand with the other when you type in your pin. If possible, use the tap feature instead
This ☝️
A lot of people are all "Oh no! My card number will be wirelessly transmitted!" But it's all encrypted and tokenized for that one transaction, so it doesn't matter if any 3rd party receives that wireless transmission, because it cannot feasibly be used to create new transactions.
But if you swipe your card, that reveals your card number and can be used to generate new transactions.
My card doesn't have a tap feature or anything that even looks like a tap. :(
(Hot or cold tap?)
If your card supports tap & pay (also called contactless), it will have a little symbol that looks like a WiFi symbol rotated 90 degrees.
Here's information about the technology from Visa, but it's the same with all payment networks https://usa.visa.com/pay-with-visa/contactless-payments/contactless-payments.html
If your card doesn't support tap & pay, you might be able to call the card issuer and ask for a card that supports it.
If all else fails, use the chip on the card. It's the same technology but wired instead of wireless, although there is more risk of someone skimming your magstripe.
This has been going on for quite awhile now. Every time I use an ATM or any payment device that is outside a store, I tug on the card reader to see if it comes off or is loose in any way. Often they are just stuck there with velcro or adhesive tape.
Old scam. This is why ATMs say "cover the keypad (i.e. with your hand or a paper) while making entries."