For security reasons, it is recommended that you never lose sight of your plastic card. Whether you pay in a store or pay an invoice in a restaurant, the seller usually does not take your card away, and withdraws money from it using a special terminal. However, such discretion may not save you from stealing money from your card.
Skimming is a form of stealing money from a plastic card by reading information from it. The card data is read using a special device - a skimmer, which is installed directly into the terminal. Such devices can be installed both on portable terminals and on stationary terminals, for example, ATMs. To obtain information about the card, fraudsters also use miniature video cameras and keyboards, they are installed over the real keyboard of ATMs and remember the data entered by the cardholder.
To protect yourself from these types of scammers, you need to take some precautions. Pay attention to the keyboard of the ATM or handheld terminal, also check the card slot. In most cases, counterfeit terminal parts are difficult to distinguish from real ones, however, as a rule, they are quite easy to attach and remove. This is done so that they can be quickly removed after receiving the necessary information. Look at the color and material of the keyboard, perhaps they will stand out against the general background of the device.
If you have any suspicions that a skimmer may be installed in the terminal, feel free to leave and look for another terminal. If you need an ATM, try to use only those located in crowded places, and preferably in rooms that are under video surveillance, for example, in shops or branches of the banks themselves.
