Close the Panel for Entering the PIN Code When Using a Restricted Access ATM
Skimming scams are all over the place, but according to Krebs on Security , another component that’s easy to prevent is scammers who write down your PIN.
“Very often the smartest component of your typical ATM skimming attack is a hidden pinhole camera used to record customers entering their PIN,” writes Krebs. “These little video thugs can be hidden in 100 different ways, but they are often disguised as ATM security features such as an extra cover to protect a PIN or a universal skimmer above the green flashing ATM card slot. … “
Krebs writes that this is especially true for ATMs that use access roads, and the people who use them can be easy targets for scammers. One simple solution: Cover the PIN pad with your hand, bag, or whatever, as if you were doing it at an ATM, although, as Krebs notes, this can be physically difficult to do from a car. (If this is your case, consider using an ATM machine.)
“Skimmer fraudsters don’t just need your bank card: they need your PIN so that they can create an exact copy of the card and use it at another ATM to empty your checking or savings account,” writes Krebs. Covering the site makes it much more difficult for them, which is probably enough deterrent for a fraudster to go to someone else.