Consumers should beware of credit card skimming when making purchases or withdrawals from ATMs. Thieves can install small devices called "skimmers" on card slots to steal credit card numbers, and hidden cameras to record PIN numbers. With both the card number and PIN, thieves can drain bank accounts. Savvy consumers can check for skimmers by gently tugging on the card slot - if it wiggles or comes off, they should not use that ATM. They should also block the view of their hand as they enter their PIN to prevent thieves from recording it with a hidden camera. In Polk County, four skimmers were recently found on ATMs from two credit unions and a grocery store

1. T
d
de
be
BYI
rNri
l6)
ris
es
0r
rll
w &Yffiffi ewffiffi&ffiffiffiffiffiffi g
rr.*i*
pRovrDED By r${E porx eour,liy sxffiFrs ffi
fl?5:,Xy5ry:ygy:Srgpgjg*r ju amaehed ovcr a eredm eard srot u*o;il; ;ara aseons&nmers aeeess thein aeeous'nts to make a purehase or wlilljiawag.
ls-
lf-
ng
he
ts-
od
ns
is
a-
d-
al
rh
rl-
he
te
lo
lo-
tts
Dr-
dr-
Its_
Cc
to
jl
3mI
FI
mal
Iavr
le,
tly
ier
rut
in
€-
ny
)r-
ie-
rJr
rBf
to
m-
er,
Iut
lis
!w,
he
nd
)x},
;he
:he
ris-
he
)!m
taI
ae*
5iffiffiffitrd
$ffiffiSwlpffi
Corasurners Beware When S*lpirg Cards
Ey HARTLVH ffiEYER I THE LEEGER
E t= a convenience: Ston bv
fi the AT'M, swipe tne O'eUit
E card, punch ill your pin,
E gftrtf,e money and go.
E lrut savvy eomsurners
E add two more steps.
.
"
Before swiping tde eard,
rne{ give a gentle tug on the
eard swiper. If there is anv
wiggle onif the deviee eome!
off, they stop.
." TIp wiggb is a sign rhat a
thief has insented a ikimmer
to gathen cand ntembers.
Somewltere, hidden near-
hy, a tiny camera has been
mounted to record the FIN
numbers the bankine cus_
tomer is punehing in"-
So the sawy consumers,
second step is ts keep thieves
from seeing those nurnbers.
They block t?re view with
ttrreir other hand as thev
pr.unch in thein FInd.
-
"
All it takes for thieves to
siphon off or drain all the
money fnom a bank account
is to paif up the eard number
reconded by the skimmer
and the FIN number neeord-
ed by the camera.
And in a slightXy difterent
variation of identity theft,
thieves can tap intd *ulaii
card information by insert,
ing skimming deviees into
gasoline pumps.
In Polk County, four skim-
mers were found in Novern_
ber on ATMs * tws at &Xid-
Florida Credit Unisn
branches and two at publix
I PTEASE SEE SUUtpE, a4 3
ger
Eyt
TF{E /