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How the scammers go about their business

Skimming fraudsters use different tricks at card-based machines to obtain the magnetic strip data and the PIN code. The most common practices are:

Manipulation of automatic machines
The criminals use various equipment in, or on, card-based machines to skim. A card reader device stores the magnetic strip data. At the same time, a fake keypad or mini camera installed reads the PIN code. These modifications are virtually non-detectable for card holders because the equipment used looks deceptively real and the cameras are so small as to be barely noticeable.

Manipulation of card readers at doors
Another method for obtaining the magnetic strip data and PIN code is to manipulate the access systems on doors leading to the ATM areas in banks. An attachment on the card reader copies the magnetic strip data. The PIN code must be entered to gain entry and can therefore be stored.

Cash withdrawals abroad
Once the criminal has the required card information, a copy of the card is made. Because this cannot be used in Switzerland without the chip, the perpetrators withdraw the money abroad at the expense of the unsuspecting card holder – until the account is emptied or the card is blocked. This means abusive transactions can be carried out in a completely different place geographically to where the card information was read. Because real cards remain in the possession of card holders, they often do not notice the loss until much later – when discovering account withdrawals abroad that they have never made.

Trading with card information on the Internet
Some skimming fraudsters read PIN code and magnetic strip data in order to trade with this information. This means they sell the data to other scammers over the Internet, enabling them to illegally withdraw money from the accounts in question. Card data is transferred abroad at lightning speed for this.

Skimming.

A way of
manipulating ATMs.
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