In the modern world, our private data is everything, and criminals are always looking for ways to get their hands on it.
But while online shopping with the wrong site can offer all sorts of danger, physical purchases are still just as vulnerable under the right circumstances.
That was the case at a number of Walmart locations in the state of New York, where police found credit card skimming devices in at least five stores.
All five cases found that the skimmer was installed on the store's credit card terminal on Sunday, July 2, and detected three days later on Wednesday, July 5.
Images taken from surveillance footage in the Auburn, Camillus and Oswego Walmart locations show the same three people in each store, either entering or tampering with the credit card terminal.
"It's been called 'gutsy' to put those devices where they were located, because it's a very public area," FBI Supervisory Special Agent Samantha Baltzersen said, according to The Hill.
Most skimmers target the traditional magnetic swipe cards, though some more sophisticated devices can harness information from the newer chip cards as well. These are more rare though.
So what can you do to protect yourself? FICO offers some advice.
What should consumers look out for?
When consumers go to make a payment, they should take a close look at the part of the device where they insert their card. If anything about it seems loose or looks disconnected from the actual system, that should be a red flag. If something looks suspicious, you should not complete the payment.
Recent advances in technology have enabled fraudsters to have more sophisticated and harder to detect card skimming technology. For example, fraudsters will install microscopic cameras at the top of ATMs or other points of sale that look like a small pinhole.
Consumers should keep an eye out for any small holes or disjointed parts of the payment system that might be capturing their confidential information.
Fraudsters will use these cameras to observe your PIN code, so it is very important to make a habit of completely covering the PIN pad when entering your information.
How can consumers protect themselves from card skimming?
Consumers should always look for ways to use the most secure payment mechanism. Generally, the weakest method of payment is using the magnetic stripe on your card.
If your card has a chip or supports contactless payments, those payments methods are more secure. If you are in a situation where you have to use the magnetic stripe, take a moment to heighten your awareness and make sure to shield your PIN code. It is important to set up alerting with your financial institutions.
Many banks enable their customers to set up real-time alerts that will notify any suspicious transactions or certain transaction types or characteristics such as exceeding a certain dollar amount. By taking advantage of the technology that your financial institution offers, consumers can better protect their funds.
