Beware these card skimming scams in SA
Despite an increase in sophisticated cyber-criminal behaviour, Nedbank warns that card skimming is by no means a criminal pastime of bygone years.
Card skimming is the criminal art of copying bank customers’ cards at ATMs via a skimming device to produce counterfeit ones, or to re-encode lost and stolen cards, which can drain account holders’ funds.
The South African Banking Risk Identification Centre (Sabric) reports that the SAPS and bank investigators have confiscated 1,377 handheld skimming devices over the last decade, with this crime being most prevalent in Gauteng (38%), followed by KZN (13%) and the Western Cape (9%).
As fraudsters continue modifying their approach to this criminal activity, Nedbank points to different guises of card skimming:
- Obtaining your personal identification number (PIN): hi-tech mounted skimming device attached to card reader on an ATM, a self-service terminal (SST) or a point-of-sale (POS) device.
- ATM tampering: ATM retains your card – fraudster pretends to be a helpful passer-by, removing your card, skimming it unseen and reinserting it into the ATM.
- Card Theft: Interference where a fraudster will “leave” there transaction slip in the ATM, return to fetch it and then interfere with you, push buttons on the ATM and then steal your card, whilst you stand at the ATM believing it has retained your card.
- Making payments by card: most commonly, when the cashier ‘cleans’ your card on his or her clothing, or moves it below counter height to a magnetic-strip card reader. This information is encoded to replicate your card.
- Online and telephonic purchases: your card could be compromised when you disclose your card number, name, expiry date and CCV number. If a website is not secure or legitimate, these details can be used for any number of fraudulent purchases.
Nedbank warns that customers should never assume that their card has been retained by an ATM or SST. “Do not wait until you get home or return to the office – a trapped or skimmed card can be used immediately,” the bank said.
It said that customers should look to upgrade their cards to EMV cards, which use microchips, which are harder to skim.
“Be careful of hoaxes, for example rumours that if you enter your PIN backwards at an ATM this will notify the police that you need assistance. These are scams designed to get you to divulge your PIN,” Nedbank said.
Loading ...