(NEXSTAR) – Officials in Massachusetts and Kansas are currently investigating the theft of residents’ financial information via the use of card skimming machines, which are designed to mimic the appearance of legitimate credit card readers.
In Massachusetts, police have recently identified such skimming machines at four locations of a local supermarket chain, sometimes finding skimming machines installed at multiple registers in a single location.
In Kansas, the Department of Children and Families is investigating a similar rash of crimes targeting families using EBT (electronic benefits transfer) cards in the Kansas City area. Collectively, the department believes that more than $38,000 worth of benefits had been stolen from 162 cardholders through the use of the illegal devices.
“It’s disheartening that there are people preying on some of the most vulnerable Kansans — children and the elderly — and are stealing the money they depend on to put food on their tables,” Laura Howard, the department’s secretary, said.
The FBI, too, had recently tracked a rash of skimming thefts with ties to an organized crime ring based in Romania, which had been targeting ATMs and EBT recipients in the United States. Five members of this crime ring were arrested and charged as a result of this investigation, the FBI announced on Feb. 14.
What is a credit card skimming scam?
Skimming scams are targeted at people using ATMs, gas pumps, or credit card readers at retail outlets, the FBI says. The scammers carefully craft devices that look like legitimate card readers, which they then attempt to blend in with the actual ATMs or point-of-sale (POS) interfaces, according to the FBI.
“POS skimming devices, such as those capturing EBT card data, are generally designed as overlays to the POS terminal and have wireless transmission capabilities. These may be present in any market, convenience store, or retailer,” the FBI writes.
Once a victim swipes their credit card, the skimming device either stores or sends the victim’s information for the criminals to retrieve.
Scammers have also been known to use hidden cameras to record victims entering their PIN numbers into ATM machines, the FBI said. Some thieves also create fake numerical keypads that record the keystrokes of users, to steal such passwords.
Police in New Hampshire shared photos in Nov. 2023 of a skimming device (the outside and underside) found at a shopping outlet. The device was designed to be placed over a legitimate keypad, tricking victims into entering sensitive information. (Concord Police Department)
ATM skimming, specifically, is also a “growing criminal activity,” the FBI warns.
How can you spot a skimming device?
Before putting your card into a reader, the FBI says there are some easy and effective ways to protect your information. Be sure to inspect the reader and look for any loose parts or damage. Scratches or damage to adhesive tape can also be indicators that it has been tampered with. If you give the skimmer a light shake and it feels loose, tell an employee.
To prevent cameras from capturing your passwords, the FBI recommends users cover the keypad with one hand, while punching in the PIN with the other.
After similar crimes were detected at businesses in Concord, New Hampshire, in 2023, local police further warned that some scammers will try to force victims to swipe their card at the phony reader (rather than allow them to the card’s chip, which is harder to steal information from) by blocking the chip slot, making that part of the reader appear “jammed.”
And at gas pumps, the Federal Trade Commission offers tips for spotting signs of skimming, including broken security seals over the cabinet panel, or card readers that appear loose or different from ones at adjacent pumps. Customers who want to be extra cautious can also pay in cash rather than use a card, or at least refrain from using the debit option to avoid having to enter a PIN, the FTC suggests.
If a customer feels they’ve been the victim of a skimming scam, it’s best for them to contact the credit card company or bank that issued the card, the FBI says. Local law enforcement agencies should also be made aware of possible scams.
As for the skimming devices found in Massachusetts and Kansas, authorities are warning anyone who used their cards at those businesses to monitor their financial activity and report any purchases that seem suspicious. In Kansas, the Department of Children and Families suggested that EBT cardholders change their PIN numbers, and even “freeze” their cards until it’s time to make purchases.
Hannah Cotter and Elizabeth Turley of Nexstar's WPRI and Nick DeGray of Nexstar’s WWLP contributed to this report.
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