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HAZLETON — State Police are warning residents to beware of skimming devices that pick up a person’s debit- or credit-card information when cards are used at an ATM or a gas pump.
ATM skimming refers to the illegal practice of placing electronic devices on or around an ATM or Point of Sale terminal to capture the magnetic-strip data found on the back of a card as well as the PIN entered by the customer when used.
The devices have been found recently in the Hazleton area, troopers say.
They vary in shapes, sizes, and designs but are made to resemble legitimate devices. One key difference to look for — legitimate machines usually have a green “transmit button” on the bottom right; on some skimming devices, that button is blue.
State Police have some other tips for residents to protect themselves from becoming victims:
• Watch where you shop. Restaurants, bars, gas stations, and retail store self-checkouts are places where credit-card mishaps are reported most frequently. ATMs, especially ATMs that are not found at a bank, are common places where skimmers can be found.
• Check ATMs before using them. Skimming operations often include a camera within view of the keypad to steal PIN numbers. Other tactics include placing a fake keypad above the real one to record keystrokes. When using an ATM, cover your hand as you type your PIN to prevent a camera from catching a view of what is being typed. Bank-operated ATMs are less likely to have a skimmer as opposed to machines located at a store or gas station.
• Beware of “credit card cleaning” scams where identity thieves claim to clean the magnetic strip of a credit card to help it work better. In reality, this is a gimmick to swipe credit cards through a skimmer to obtain confidential information.
• Always check monthly banking and credit-card statements to make sure no one has stolen your identity or is making fraudulent purchases with your cards.
Victims of identity theft or skimming-device scams are advised to contact police and their banking and credit-card companies.