From last year to today, more than 161,000 debit and credit cards have been affected by theft or scams in the United States.In this sense, according to a FICO report, since 2022, card theft at points of sale and ATMs has increased by up to 368%.
The truth is that there are many investigations that have been carried out in this regard and the reports reveal what is happening. It happens that criminals place skimmers on cash registers and cashiers.
Basically, with skimmers you can read debit and credit cards to steal data or PINs. That is why officials are very concerned and recommend being careful when paying in stores and retail chains.
In fact, card skimmers were found at several Walmart locations. But, there is one thing that is undeniable and that is that criminals who place these devices in strategic places are usually fast and highly trained.
Likewise, they know very well how to fix them correctly so that it blends perfectly with the existing hardware. This is confirmed by Bankrate reports.
What do experts recommend?
Brad Leonard, assistant special agent in charge of the US Secret Service Miami field office, advised users. “Take a look at your account statements. At first there will be a minimum charge to make sure the card works,” he explained.
All this, before the stolen data is good, “before they actually call her and use her for a large purchase,” Leonard clarified.
Likewise, before using the cards at ATMs or points of sale, you must ensure that the machine has not been tampered with. So you should use a card with a chip that does not need to be inserted for a reading.
