Do you know what “skimming” is? Here’s why police advise against using street ATMs – Executive Summary

The ways and techniques by which cybercriminals seek to obtain a person’s personal and banking data never stop growing, and more importantly, they change: just when we think there are no more ways to trick us, there is always a trick up our sleeve, exploited by elements of our daily lives.

ATMs, for example: they are still widely used, especially in summer, on tourist trips where they only accept cash. However, as the Spanish newspaper El Economista reports, the simple gesture of withdrawing money from an ATM in the street can lead to our money being stolen. It is about skimming techniques that have become common in the neighboring country: the National Police recently dismantled a criminal group that had managed to defraud almost 200,000 euros with this technique in Valencia.

Spanish authorities have arrested three people, and it cannot be ruled out that more people may be involved in a scheme that involved the use of specially designed physical elements to imitate parts of ATMs, with electronic devices capable of copying and storing the data contained on magnetic tapes.

In other words, when someone swipes or inserts their debit or credit card, the device copies the data and the cybercriminal can clone the card and use it for as long as they want until they realize it.

The danger lies in the ATMs located on the streets, with special attention paid to individuals who are not affiliated with a bank branch or anything, as they are less monitored and more susceptible to modification by these items.

However, pay attention to these tips to avoid falling victim to this scam:

– Avoid ATMs located on the street: Whenever possible, it is advisable to use ATMs located inside bank branches or in shopping malls.
– Cover the keypad when entering the PIN: When entering the PIN, cover the keypad if there are small cameras installed that capture the combination.
– Review your banking transactions periodically: Attackers will use your card until you realize the theft, so check your transactions from time to time to make sure, in the worst-case scenario, the theft is as minor as possible.