Skimming

The term “skimming” usually refers to taking something off the surface of something else. When we skim a pool, we use a net to get all the leaves and other gunk off the surface of the water. When we skim a homework assignment, we quickly read through it so we can capture the high points and not bother with the rest of the unimportant stuff. But if we’re a criminal, the thing we’re “skimming” off the top is someone else’s credit or debit card info, and the net we’re using to collect the info we need is called a “skimming device.”

Skimming happens at brick-and-mortar locations like ATMs, gas stations, and other businesses. A skimming device is either attached to the point-of-sale device (like an ATM machine), or a nefarious actor is holding one close enough to a point-of-sale device (like the cash register at a coffee shop) that it’s remotely reading people’s credit card numbers and/or PINs. The point is for the skimmer to get enough information that they can use the card to either make their own purchases or open a fraudulent account.

Here’s something that won’t come as a surprise to anyone: skimming is illegal. And not only that, it’s a huge pain in the keister to deal with, both on the consumer side and on the business side. That’s why credit and debit cards continue to get more and more high-tech, and why many companies have installed anti-fraud software, and implemented other measures to keep their customers’ financial data safe. That’s also why it’s important we pay attention to our own financial info and take immediate action if our cards are used for any suspicious purchases.