Border Lines

In the past week I have heard of two people locally getting “skimmed” at ATM machines and having their accounts cleared, So I said I would post a blog entry on the dangers of this and what you can do to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.

What is ATM Skimming
ATM skimming is when someone gets the information about your card, and PIN from some means, such as a skimming tool planted on the ATM machine, and a camera located over the keypad, or simply someone standing behind your shoulder, and with this information they clone your card and they have full access to your bank account to take what they want.

What can I do to stop it?
Follow these few simple tips to make sure your hard earned cash stays where it belongs.

If the ATM looks dodgy or changed in anyway, don’t use it!
Most ATM’s will show a picture of what the ATM should look like on the screen before you input your PIN, Compare the picture on screen with the ATM.

Always guard your PIN
If there is someone standing too close to you, offer for them to go first, or find a different ATM, if it is just you at the ATM, Still cover your PIN with your hand, Just in case!

Always keep your eye on the ATM
Never look away from the ATM if someone is trying to talk to you, always make sure you can see the ATM while it is in your use.

If it suspicious, Walk Away
If you don’t like the look of the ATM, or the person beside you is making you feel uneasy, Cancel your transaction immediately, and walk away. And just to be safe, call your bank to make sure the transaction was properly canceled.

Destroy old cards
Any old ATM cards you might have, Cut them up and bin them, These still hold information about your account, and if you don’t bin them, The wrong person could get their hands on this.

Follow these simple steps to make sure your trip to the ATM doesn’t end in a hole in our pocket!, And remember most important of all, Keep your PIN exactly that, YOUR Pin