Card Skimming
✓ Last verified 14 Sep 2026
The short version
Card skimming uses a hidden device (at an ATM or point-of-sale terminal) to copy your card's data when it's used, often paired with a hidden camera to capture your PIN - enabling a cloned card to be used fraudulently later.
A skimming device, often disguised as part of the card slot itself, reads and stores your card's magnetic stripe data as it's inserted, while a concealed camera or fake keypad overlay captures the PIN entered - together enough to clone the card for fraudulent use elsewhere. Checking an ATM's card slot and keypad for anything that looks loose, added-on, or mismatched before use, covering the keypad with your hand while entering a PIN regardless of whether anyone appears to be watching, and preferring well-lit, bank-premises ATMs over isolated standalone ones are practical, low-effort habits that meaningfully reduce this specific risk.
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