What is skimming?

A slim device is placed on the ATM to read details from the magnetic strip. In addition to this, a small camera is situated above the PIN pad and records the PIN details you enter.

These devices are small and in many cases undetectable unless you are very familiar with how the machine should look. Given that there are a number of different ATM models and customised facades it would be difficult to identify that a skimming device has been placed on the machine.

It will seem you are just doing a normal transaction, however, vital information is being captured from which the fraudsters can then access details to obtain cash from your account.

What should you do?

Protecting your PIN is vital as without this important piece of information, the information obtained from the magnetic strip is useless. The best thing to do is place something above your hand as you enter in the PIN as the camera is always situated directly above.

Skimming devices are not left on machines for any great period of time, so if you believe you have noticed something unusual on a machine, report it to the machine owner as soon as possible.

If you have already processed a withdrawal before noticing a possible suspicious device, notify the ATM owner or the hotline on the reverse of your card as soon as possible so precautionary steps can be taken.