Watch Where You Swipe: How to Avoid Credit Card Skimming

When you swipe your card at the gas pump, could you actually be handing over your personal information to criminals?

While credit card skimming — criminals using a device to steal your personal information — is no reason to stop using plastic as your preferred payment method, it does provide a reason to be vigilant when swiping your card. After all, the worst case scenario is a mountain of debt and a ruined credit report because someone stole your information, and that’s not something anyone would want.

Card skimmers use a device that takes the information from the magnetic strip on your card and stores it for future malicious use. Some examples of how these devices are used include a waiter at a restaurant sneaking away to slide your card through a skimmer or criminals altering an ATM machine by placing a skimmer over the existing legitimate card reader.

Here are a few ways to avoid sharing your information with criminals when using your card:

• Keep your eye on individuals who are swiping your card (such as cashiers) whenever possible.
• If you can, only use ATMs that are familiar to you so you will notice any changes with the card reader.
• Use ATMs that are inside buildings or in heavily trafficked areas, as this presents more obstacles to those who might try to tamper with the machine.
• Keep an eye on your credit card statements to make sure they are consistent with the purchases you’ve made.
• Monitor your credit report for changes or inaccuracies, as they may be a sign that someone is illegally using your information.

When it comes to protecting your identity, enrolling in a credit monitoring program is a great way to help make sure you catch suspicious activity as soon as possible. Credit monitoring services like those offered by IDENTITY GUARD monitor your credit file in real time. Other monitoring services can monitor your bank account numbers, credit account numbers and your credit report for certain activity, allowing you to minimize potential hardship caused by someone stealing your identity.

Having your identity stolen can result in you spending hours trying to recoup everything you lost and reconciling damage caused to your credit. By taking the right precautions to avoid scams like card skimming, as well as making sure you catch potential identity theft quickly, you might be able to avoid much of the pain that comes along with being a victim of it.