A MASKED man who planned to retrieve card information was caught on tape installing a shimmer device that blindly stole $1,000 from an ATM user.
Elaine Fischer of Washington fell victim to the shimmer and was left shaken up by the experience.
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The shimmer was inserted into the ATM she used and she had no idea she was being scammed.
A video shared by Fox affiliate WFXT in Boston shows the “info thief” quickly shoving the shimmer into the ATM and running away.
Shimming devices and skimmer devices are similar as they are intended to record card information from people who come in contact with them.
The difference between the two is that shimmers record the card information through the chip reader.
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Skimmer records card information when people swipe using the mag stripe.
Fisher was alarmed over what shimmer devices were capable of.
SHOCKED AND UNCOMFORTABLE
It made Fischer uncomfortable that someone could easily get ahold of her private information to steal her money.
“It was a shock,” Fischer told WFXT.
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“I really thought a lot about the idea that someone had my information,” said Fischer.
Robert Siciliano, a cyber security consultant in Boston and CEO of Protect Now LLC explained how shimmers are a more advanced version of the information stealing technology making them harder to detect.
“Shimming is much harder to detect,” Siciliano told WFXT.
“The devices are much more expensive to create but in the end, once the shimming device is installed.
“It’s much harder for not only the consumer to realize but even the bank themselves to even know that their devices have been compromised.”
Siciliano has recommended some telltale signs to stay aware of to keep yourself safe from shimmers/skimmers, per WXFT.
He said to be vigilant about monitoring your debit or credit card transactions.
Enable mobile alerts on your phone to receive immediate notifications for any account activity.
Most importantly, whenever possible, opt for contactless payment by tapping your card instead of inserting or swiping it at the machine.
What is a skimmer device?
A skimmer device is a fraud tool designed to steal sensitive information from credit or debit cards during transactions.
- Imagine a skimmer device as a sneaky thief that hides on ATMs or card machines.
- Its job is to secretly steal your credit or debit card information when you use it for a transaction.
- These devices are like tiny spies that can copy your card details, including the card number and PIN, without you even realizing it.
- Skimmers can be cleverly disguised to look just like the regular card reader, making them hard to spot.
- Once they have your information, bad guys can use it to make fake cards or buy things without your permission, causing a lot of trouble and stress.
- It’s important to always be cautious and check for anything unusual on card machines before using them to protect yourself from these sneaky devices.
ADVANCED SCAMS
Scammers are always working to better their schemes as security technology advances.
The new technology that is used in shimming devices has been designed to bypass chip readers.
Chip readers were created to prevent people from getting their information stolen through mag stripes.
Fang Yu, Co-Founder and CTO of DataVisor, explained how scammers are always adapting.
“Fraudsters have learned that adaptability is the key to their success. If they can keep evolving, they can stay ahead of detection methods,” Yu said, Forbes reported.
“When they use an attack type, a defense is created.
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“If they use that type again, they get captured.
“But if they change to a new and unknown attack type, they might evade detection.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/11181291/thief-shimmer-device-atm-money-stolen-skimmer/