Credit card skimmers prompt public warning by RCMP
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Police in the Central Okanagan are once again warning about card skimmers after the devices were discovered in Vernon and Kamloops.
Spokeswoman Const. Anne Donnelly of the Kelowna RCMP fraud section, said in a press release there are ways to foil the scam, which requires both your debit card number and your personal identification number.
The skimmer is inserted into the legitimate debit/credit card slot on a gas pump. It reads your card number while a strategically placed camera records your PIN when you punch it in.
Just by covering the PIN pad when punching in your number you can foil the attempted fraud even if the skimmer gets your card data.
“Cover your hand when entering your PIN," she says. "Getting the data of the mag stripe of your card is only part of the puzzle.”
She also recommends pulling gently on the card slot to see if anything comes loose or moves around. If anything appears suspicious, Donnelly recommends you avoid using the machine and report it immediately to the business where it is located.
To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
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