OMG - Debit card skimmed

[cgcw]

The bank just called. Our debit card attached to our checking account has been skimmed. I have never heard of this before. Apparently, we used our debit card "somewhere" (they won't tell us which merchant) and as we put the card through the machine someone grabbed the information off of the black strip along the back. Then, as I understand it, there was either a camera or a person nearby who watched us put our PIN number into the machine and got that information as well. Then the process is that they take this information and make a fake card to use.

I can't believe this. We use our debit card all over the place. The last placed used was Monday night at the pet store. Used it for gas on Monday morning and several times at various places over the weekend. I'm angry because now we have to "apply" for a new card and go through the hassle of having our account closed and waiting for a new one. It's going to be hard not having the debit card -- we rarely have cash and now we need to make sure we do. I'm also concerned as to how this happened -- is it the merchants we're dealing with? If so, I'm not sure we want to do business wth them anymore. Unfortunately, our bank will give us no information other than to say it happened and our debit cards are no longer valid.

The good news is that no charges were done on the card the person was attempting to make. And, although it's a small inconvenience, at least it was caught early enough to prevent this.

Just a forwarning to those who might not always check their bank statements when they first come in the mail. I have a friend who is now reviewing 3 months of statements to make sure her account hasn't been "compromised" as the bank refers to them.

 

[JasonLyons]

Originally posted by cgcw
The bank just called. Our debit card attached to our checking account has been skimmed. I have never heard of this before. Apparently, we used our debit card "somewhere" (they won't tell us which merchant) and as we put the card through the machine someone grabbed the information off of the black strip along the back. Then, as I understand it, there was either a camera or a person nearby who watched us put our PIN number into the machine and got that information as well. Then the process is that they take this information and make a fake card to use.

I can't believe this. We use our debit card all over the place. The last placed used was Monday night at the pet store. Used it for gas on Monday morning and several times at various places over the weekend. I'm angry because now we have to "apply" for a new card and go through the hassle of having our account closed and waiting for a new one. It's going to be hard not having the debit card -- we rarely have cash and now we need to make sure we do. I'm also concerned as to how this happened -- is it the merchants we're dealing with? If so, I'm not sure we want to do business wth them anymore. Unfortunately, our bank will give us no information other than to say it happened and our debit cards are no longer valid.

The good news is that no charges were done on the card the person was attempting to make. And, although it's a small inconvenience, at least it was caught early enough to prevent this.

Just a forwarning to those who might not always check their bank statements when they first come in the mail. I have a friend who is now reviewing 3 months of statements to make sure her account hasn't been "compromised" as the bank refers to them.

long post

 

[coqui]

Here's the Cliff notes version:

Debit card skimmed. No one else used it.

 

[JasonLyons]

awww, thanks coqui, lol

 

[jfulcer]

The same guys that did that down in Illinois also hit an ATM machine here. It was at a bank's ATM, so it was most likely some bank you went to get cash at. They attach a device to the slot that looks *just* like the entrance to a lot of card readers you see in grocery stores/etc. Then they have a small camera (I saw a picture, it was REALLY small) above the atm looking down at the keypad.

Ingenious, but alas they were caught. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't know yours was skimmed until they caught the guys and looked through all the numbers they had.

Here in Milwaukee, they knew which machine was hit and when it had the skimmer attached. The idiots got their car caught on tape putting this thing on and it got their plate numbers. duh.

 

[Shelly]

Actually this is common. I worked for a major credit card company for five years in the fraud department. This most frequantly happens at gas stations, car washes and some restaurants.
It is not always the merchants fault. They hire someone that brings a little machine and they swipe your card thru it(wolla they have a copy). Make sure you always see your card go thru the machine, don't let them take it to the back or anything.
Sometimes it is the merchant the "fraud ring" pays the merchant a fee to allow them to work
there for a couple of hours. Don't let your card out of your sight.

 

[coqui]

No problem JasonLyons.

Yeah this is pretty common. Fortunately for me, I have fairly broad shoulders so when I'm at an ATM, I usually take up the whole view so people can't really see my putting in my PIN. That and I use more than my index finger so they can't always tell which button I'm pressing.

When I'm at a restaurant and other places, I use my debit card like a credit card instead so I don't have to put in a pin.

 

[Shelly]

Again as I was saying it doesn't matter if you use a pin or not. They make a copy of your card and use it as a credit card. You would be shocked the number of people that would scream at me as if it was the credit card companys fault. They would say I'm staring at my card how could
you give anyone but me permission to charge 1500 in electronics. It is the merchant the kid that gets paid $7 an hour that decides, therin lies the problem.

 

[mom2boys]

ok - headed over to my bank's website to check my recent transactions.

 

[jamsmom]

Why can't everyone just be honest?

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by Shelly
how could you give anyone but me permission to charge 1500 in electronics. It is the merchant the kid that gets paid $7 an hour that decides, therin lies the problem.

That's for sure. I use my credit card in the food store occasionally. They hardly ever ask to see my card to verify the signature.

 

[Cinders]

At least they didnt get any of your money. Last summer I went to use my debit card at the grocery and was denied. Went straight home and checked my account online and saw a huge withdrawal from a place in Raleigh, NC. Called my credit union and talked to the one and only lady in the fraud department. She said well you withdrew money from a sister credit union on Monday. I told her nope not possible DH was at work and I was here in IN and had even charged gas in a town 7 miles from my house that morning. It took about a week but we got our money back and DH had to go fill out forms saying if the FBI found the person who stole the money we would prosecute them so that the credit union could get the money back. I used the web to track down the street in Raleigh where the withdrawal was made and only a CR service center and a Police and Fireman's CR are located on that street. An employee at the CR that I use regularly told me the lady in the fraud dept. had called her and asked if she thought we were capable of stealing the money ourselves. Then a few months later DH had to fill out the forms again. Since then we've not heard anything. They did say the money was withdrawn inside the building but couldnt say by whom. Which I dont understand since they have cameras and can pinpoint transactions since the reciepts have the date and times.

 

[Shelly]

This costs the consumers so much money, this is why interest rates are so high.
The credit card companys have to eat all that money. They rarely prosecute because it costs way to much, because this is so common. The only time they really prosecute is if it is a big fraud ring caught by the FBI. Occasionally the fbi would call and fax us a huge list of Crdedit card numbers they found when they would make a big bust.
What I have seen is amazing.

 

[December99]

I saw this on the news the other night. Guess I ain't using any ATMs in your area again!!!!! And I frequent that area!!!

 

[ErikdaRed]

Also, I think that debit cards are not protected like credit cards if I understand the contract correctly. For example, of 1500 in false charges on a credit card you need to pay 50. On a debit card that money is gone, so don't activate your debit cards.

 

[cgcw]

Originally posted by December99
I saw this on the news the other night. Guess I ain't using any ATMs in your area again!!!!! And I frequent that area!!!

Chris, I can't tell you the last time we used the card at an ATM. And, when we did, we always do it at our bank. Scary because it most likely happened some place other than the ATM.

 

[UncleKyle]

This is why I love being a poor college student. Most a thief will get from my debit card is about 10 bucks

 

[Lezah]

We had the same thing happen to us a year ago just before Christmas. I have telephone banking, so I caught it right away. When I called to check our balance it showed a deposit of $4000 and a withdrawal of $1200. Wasn't me or my hubby, so I called the bank to find out what happened, and long story short someone at a gas station my hubby got gas at skimmed his card. It was a long, drawn-out process with our card getting locked up 3 times after this was discovered (we couldn't even purchase our groceries for Christmas dinner and a bunch of pre-authorized debits bounced). It was a crazy thing. Good luck as you deal with this. Make sure you document everything as the police will need it.