Card Skimmers Alert

November 21, 2023 01:31AM

I saw this topic on bank cards being skimmed covered almost 5 years ago and wanted to revisit it since this happened to me yesterday.

I have one debit card that I use almost exclusively for mystery shopping. I received an alert from the card company asking if I was trying to make a purchase at a Wal Mart hundreds of miles away. It wasn't me and the CSR told me that my card most likely was skimmed.

This was surprising since I try to be careful and I make a habit of pulling on the card readers. Although my awareness did not prevent my card from being skimmed, just wanted people to be cognizant.

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November 21, 2023 03:06AM

That happened to me too last month!

November 21, 2023 05:35AM

It's been a long time, but I went through that once. I couldn't pinpoint exactly where it happened, but I think it was lifted at a gas station. My mother had it happen at a restaurant.

I stopped using my debit card because of that. I think it's easier to get charges reversed on a credit card than it is to get funds put back into my checking account.

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown

November 21, 2023 05:43AM

Funny thing, too....the person who stole my mother's number tried to make a purchase at Nike's website (I'm assuming a rather substantial one.) Even though it was cleared up, to this day, my mother cannot buy anything from Nike and use her address as the billing or shipping address; if she does, they immediately cancel the order. It's an issue every holiday when she wants to order shoes for my brother for Christmas.

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown

November 21, 2023 06:13PM

While I have never inserted one of my cards into a skimmer, I have come across skimmers over the years.

A thief managed to steal my credit card information after I dined at a restaurant. They made a big purchase at a nearby mall.

My card was not out of my sight long enough for someone to take it physically to the mall. To this day, I don't know whether it was one of the restaurant staff who did it or how but I've kept an RFID-blocking card in my wallet since the theft, just in case.

November 21, 2023 06:25PM

My credit card info was stollen while on a Chipotle shop many years ago. Only reason I know it was Chipotle is because it was only purchase my roommate and I had in common and his credit card I info was also stolen. We both caught the thief immediatlely when the thief used our card months later to try and buy WalMart GiftCards. We both called and reported the Freud.

Lady Marius
Canadian Mystery Shopper

November 21, 2023 07:02PM

I had my debit card number stolen once and the only place it had been used was at the bank's ATM machine...there probably was a skimmer on it that I never noticed. It took a while but the bank made good on it after giving me temporary credit.

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The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2023 07:03PM by MsJudi.

November 21, 2023 07:10PM

This was a problem on Customer First shops with me back when the old company had them. You were not allowed to use gift cards for pay at the pump as you can now.

November 21, 2023 07:20PM

That happened to me and when I went to the bank to get a new card they said that ATM's are the worst because there is no one watching them. Sadly it was literally at the bank not at some off site random place.

November 21, 2023 07:23PM

I do a TON of gas station shops. Other than Phillips 66 (which does not take AmEx) I use the Bluebird reloadable card from Walmart. I load $20-$30 at a time and use it. That way if it gets stolen it is not a lot of money. Also, you can use it over and over and it will not block you. It is not a gift card but a debit card and you can use the app while traveling to reload and check your balance at any time. The only problem is once in awhile a station will hold an amount over the price, but it usually goes off pretty fast (within a few minutes).

November 21, 2023 08:29PM

I almost exclusively use cc for 99% of my purchases. Cash if I have it.

November 26, 2023 06:02PM

@Lady Marius wrote:

We both called and reported the Freud.

It's a Fraudian slip

November 26, 2023 06:43PM

Disregard

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/2023 06:46PM by stilllearning.

November 26, 2023 06:43PM

Disregard

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/2023 06:46PM by stilllearning.

November 26, 2023 06:43PM

Hilarious!

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

November 28, 2023 12:55PM

@drdoggie00 wrote:

I think it's easier to get charges reversed on a credit card than it is to get funds put back into my checking account.

You have specific legal rights with credit cards, but in most states, debit card policies are set by the bank. For that reason, I don't use debit cards at all.

If you do, I strongly recommend that you avoid white label ATMs.

November 28, 2023 04:35PM

Do you ever make purchases on Walmart.com? My card was not skimmed but my Walmart.com account was hacked and that is how they attempted a fraudulent purchase. I only use credit cards with online companies and try to use PayPal as a go between since it is the most secure online payment method around.

Briana Baca
Data Collection Manager
Curinos

Briana.Goldman@Curinos.com

“Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it.” —Jane Wagner

November 28, 2023 10:26PM

MSF, Walmart tried to steal $200 of my money through their app when I did an online pick up order shop. I don't even set foot inside a Walmart now. I won't do business with them again, not even with cash. My bank issued me a new card and blocked that transaction.

MW, I don't know what a white label ATM is.. I only use the bank ATM to do cash transactions. And the only time we've ever had a card skimmed was at local off brand gas stations, and I think one BP down south one time. I'm pretty careful of skimmers, but my son isn't always as observant.

November 29, 2023 04:14AM

A white label ATM is an ATM that is owned and operated by private non-banking entities. You will typically see them in non chain restaurants, bars, gas stations or convenience stores. The reason I don't like them is that these companies tend to have less controls in place than banks. You do not know who is servicing the machines or what type of controls or background checks they have on their employees, making them a perfect target for credit card thieves who want to place skimming device in the machines.

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