BALTIMORE COUNTY — Baltimore County police say keep an eye out because card skimming is on the rise again.
Most of us have heard it before, when using your card at an ATM or gas station to be aware if something looks off. But do you have a plan in place to protect your information?
These card scams come in many different forms.
Swiping your card or typing in your pin can cost you more than you dare to bargain for.
"There's a lot of skimming going on right now in Baltimore," said Baltimore resident Caleb Wilson.
Card skimming happens when devices are put on ATM's, gas pumps and even software placed on internet sites. These devices capture your data and before you know it, your cash is emptied out of your account.
This happened to Terry Gaddy who was a victim of skimming. He says "They were taking money out of my account every month and I had no idea.”
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After getting skimmed twice, once online and once at a gas station, Gaddy says he tries to stick to cash, even resorting to a different form of payment to protect his information.
"I have a card that I use just for small purchases so I never use my other card, but I think I’m going back to checks because they are much safer, I feel more secure,” said Gaddy.
Plan on paying at the pump? This is where devices can be put inside the machine or on the card reader and can be hard to detect.
When asked how he protects himself from getting skimmed, Wilson says, “I do one of these numbers, all over the screen trying to make sure no one get up in there trying to see what I’m doing. You got to be careful, if you got something to lose, protect it.”
Police say at ATM's, the device takes information from the magnetic strip. Even those that haven't been scammed must keep a watchful eye.
"I never got scammed but I always hear about it,” said Baltimore resident Milton Payne. "I know they said it's like a cover on top of the card reader, so sometimes I’ll just feel it, make sure it doesn't wiggle around. As far as ATM's, I always use my bank's ATM, I never use a foreign ATM.”
The Baltimore County Police Department along with the FBI say to avoid these skimmers use a fuel pump closer to the store, run your debit card as credit or consider paying inside. Look for anything loose or damaged on the card reader, before entering your pin cover the keypad and use ATM's that are in well-lit or indoor locations.
If you fell victim to skimming, contact your financial institution immediately and call the police so they can investigate.
