I had been back in the UK for three days and was struggling with the usual gripes – wet weather, up coming exams, the fact that I was couch surfing due to plans to move back to the States, which necessitated avoiding the ties and responsibilities of long time leases and, instead, imposing on the good will of friends and family. You know, the usual post-holiday/pre-flit blues, which can always guarantee fits of the usual auld bitching.
But today I have a brand new thing to bitch about. Sorry did I say bitch, I mean curse and swear and dream dreams of bloody vengeance.
On whom are theses evil savage thoughts directed might you ask? Why on those dirty thieving debit card information pinching bastards who as of just a few hours ago were having a great time in Sacramento at my expense.
I have officially joined the burgeoning ranks of the officially skimmed debit cardholders. Beat them with large stick say I, – the skimmers – not the holders.
Yes, somewhere over in the sunny California some people I have never met, (and will probably never meet, which I must say makes me and my good hard arse kicking feet very sad) have enjoyed what the Lemon Tree Hotel, the Bonfare Market, the Mr Bubbles carwash, the Wal-Mart, various Shell Oil Gas stations and Britton’s Mini Mart in Sacramento have to offer those newly minted with other peoples bank accounts. Bonfare Market in particular has enjoyed my long distance patronage no less than five times in the last two days. I hope they enjoyed it. I might have had a little sympathy for a some desperate thief but whoever has been stealing my money by using my stolen details obviously just had a really dirty car, and a serious jones for booze and fast food.
For there’s a McDonalds, on Lebel I believe, (I may be wrong, after all, all my address checking is taking place through a modem at the moment) that is currently almost forty dollars up, thanks to me and my debit card. Who can spend forty dollars at McDonalds and not pay the price? Well hopefully my wee card was doing its bit for heart disease. The thieves may be hard-hearted but I can hope that they are hard hearted in more than one way. Are you listening, Karma? Can you hear me? And please let some friendly bird do what comes naturally all over their newly shiny detailed ride. That would be great. Some friendly bird with very bad eating habits and a lot of roughage in their diets. Maybe a scavenger of McDonalds? Would that be possible?
I can’t tell you what they bought at Wal-Mart, I hope it was something dangerous with unclear instructions.
Anyway, being too annoyed to do anything else, I have taken a crash course in this new, exciting and completely unwelcome addition to life’s rich tapestry, and am sharing it while I am pissed enough to rant.
In the last year there has been an increase in the incident of ‘skimming’ card fraud in the USA in general and via gas pump stations in particular. Debit card skimming involves the unauthorized copying of electronic data from your debit card. Hidden equipment, such as pinhole cameras and card reading devices, are installed to obtain your passcode and card data. The stolen data is then encoded onto a counterfeit card, which is used to withdraw funds without your knowledge. Must I use the term bastard again? Oh yes, I must, I really must.
The small and often inconspicuous electronic devices used to steal your information can be pager sized, and concealed either inside or outside the gas pump. Once this device records your card details, thieves can retrieve them either at a later date by collecting the device or, as is increasingly the case, by simply using a wireless Internet connection to download your details onto their laptops.
Cameras, it would seem, are no longer a necessary tool for PIN pinchers, and that elusive creature, the lurking-stranger-sneakily-taking-note-of-your pin number bastard, may well be lurking in a room or car a few blocks away rather than just over your shoulder at the ATM.
So how to protect yourself?
According to Creditcard.com here’s what to do.
To prevent your credit or debit card from being skimmed at a gas station:
*Go in the store to process transactions and sign all credit card receipts, recommends Jean Ann Fox, director of financial services of Consumer Federation of America.
*Check your statement as soon as it arrives or online and report inconsistencies quickly. If you don’t report it fast enough, you can lose the opportunity to get your money back.
*If you do suspect skimming, call law enforcement immediately
*Under no circumstances provide anyone with your credit card PIN,
especially over the phone. Only provide personal information when you are sure you know to whom you are talking, and there is good reason to provide it. Your PIN is the key security feature, so never disclose it to anyone. If you suspect that someone knows your PIN, change it immediately.
* You should treat your card like it is cash and make sure you never lose sight of it.
* Shred old receipts and credit card bills. And be sure they are completely destroyed.
* Check your card statements regularly. Always report unauthorized or suspicious transactions to your financial institution immediately. If abroad check on-line to make sure that everything is as it should be.
*Use your hand or body to shield your passcode when you are conducting transactions at an automated teller machine (ATM) or at a point-of-sale terminal.
*Keep an eye on your banking card when conducting a transaction at the point-of-sale, and only allow your card to be swiped once.
* Check your transaction records against your financial statements regularly. If you detect any unusual activity, contact your financial institution immediately.
* If your debit card is lost, stolen or retained by an ATM, notify your financial institution immediately.
* When using an ATM, if you suspect anything unusual do not use the machine and report it to the financial institution immediately.
* Be alert. If someone is watching you or makes you feel uncomfortable, cancel the transaction and use a different machine.
So, there you have it, fellow bank details pinched, some ways to stop the thieving bastards having it large, and having it large at your expense.
I am now taking my feet to bed, to dream my dreams of vengeance, which of course will only ever be dreams.
Tags: debit card skimming, identify theft, Bonfare Market Sacramento, Bubbles Carwash, Wal-Mart, Britton's Mini Mart, Lemon Tree Hotel Sacramento, PIN numbers, skimming, California
