Credit card skimmers always pose a risk to banks, merchants, and consumers. Although one would expect this attack vector to become less successful over time, that isn’t the case. If anything, they have become more common again, which is very problematic.
More Card Skimmers In Late 2022
There have been several reports of incidents involving credit card skimmers these past few weeks. Such devices have been identified in East Jordan, India, Pakistan, and other regions. However, they have also become more commonplace in the Western World. For example, officials in Clark County identified several reports involving 7-Eleven stores just a few weeks ago.
During the investigation, police officials discovered credit card skimmers in the stores’ card readers. Locations at Hazel Dell and Orchards were affected. Installing a device into a card reader isn’t easy. Nor is getting stores to use such machines without raising suspicion. One thing is evident: the same person – or group of people – is responsible for the card skimmers at both locations. Unfortunately, it remains unclear who may be behind these attacks.
Similar developments continue to occur in Oklahoma. A new warning was issued by the Oklahoma Human Services Office of Inspector General this month. There is a growing number of skimmer threats in the state. Culprits will attempt to clone every card that gets inserted. So far, over 100 reports and $120,000 in stolen benefits have been recorded. No suspect has been identified so far.
Card skimming often focuses on obtaining credit or debit card information. However, they can also impact the victim’s public benefits. That has become a common threat in New York, where over 2,200 disability beneficiaries have list their benefits throughout 2022. Losing SNAP and monetary benefits is very problematic. Interestingly, most thefts occur in New York City. That won’t help narrow down the list of possible suspects, unfortunately.
A Tough Threat To Thwart
There isn’t much consumers can do when falling victim to card skimmers. Filing a police report and blocking the card ASAP is always advisable. However, police can only do so much if they have little or no evidence. Finding a skimmer after the fact rarely leads to the person installing it. Moreover, recovering stolen funds or public benefits rarely happens, although victims will likely be compensated. However, in some cases, federal and state regulations may prevent replacing stolen benefits.
Even so, the threat of card skimmers has existed for far too long. Unfortunately, it remains a problem regardless of how much technology evolves. Spotting a skimmer in an ATM or point-of-sale device is only possible if one knows what to look for.