The Disaster of Credit Card Skimmers

A few weeks ago, son came in to tell me that almost five hundred dollars had been stripped from my bank account. When I went down to fill out the papers, they told me someone had put a credit card “skimmer” at a gas station. I had never heard of a skimmer and so came home and started researching. It took three weeks for the bank to restore my account which made it very hard. So, I decided I wanted to warn others of this horrible fraud.

http://www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=228768

A skimmer is a device someone can carry in their pocket, or place on a gas pump or other ATM machine and it copies your credit card info. It has a little camera in it to copy your pen number. What will thieves think of next. It makes me very scared of debit and credit cards.

Now, I am on disability so losing five hundred dollars was a blow for me and thank God that the people in this town were understanding for I had utilities to pay and bills to pay.

Below is a video showing how easy it is for someone to skim your card.

My checking account showed charges from the Michigan Walmart and Target Stores. Obviously, I am not in Michigan. The bank not only restored my money but all overdraft charges and I was so thankful. But, now I worried about how to keep from getting skimmed again.

Skimmers are placed right over where you run your card and sometimes encase the whole slot you stick your card in.

This link gives more information and shows how they work.

http://consumerist.com/2009/04/heres-what-a-card-skimmer-looks-like-on-an-atm.html

Another great site on skimmers.

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/33210

The experts say to watch for anything bulky on the machine. Also, pay attention to see if the machine has changed on you from last time. They also tell you to put your hand over the keyboard when you do your pen number to keep the skimmer camera from picking up your pen number.

People can walk around with skimmers that actually read your card in your wallet or purse.

Why is it we take things so easily like “convenance” and don’t wonder what the consequences will be. Those little key-chain credit cards are a crooks delight. Sending your card with the check to be paid, instead of walking and watching while they do your card, is asking for problems.

More pictures of credit card skimmers can be seen here.

http://www.google.com/search?q=credit+card+skimmers&hl=en&biw=840&bih=450&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=PrK-TuXkCIH6sQK40MHBBA&ved=0CG4QsAQ

So, please take precautions with your credit cards and debit cards. Unless you have plenty of money, losing five hundred dollars in a swoop is extremely hard for someone like me. As for us, we are investing in one of those special wallets that protects your security strip in your card with all your info. They look like this and you can buy them at many places.

This picture came from here and you can read about them. Shop around before buying.

http://allyourwants.blogspot.com/2011/06/ogon-rfid-wallet-really-protect-your.html

November 12, 2011 - Posted by danLrene ©2011 | blogs, Disabilities, Dreams for the future, family, friends, LIfe, local, Personal, Protection from fraud, thoughts, Uncategorized | disabled, Dream for the future, family, Fraud protection, friends, Life, personal, random, thoughts

2 Comments »

I had not heard of this before. I know some restaurants will not let you pay “up front” and insist that you pay at the table. I guess you could just not eat there again. The more we go towards a “cash-less” society, the more these sort of things will pop up I am afraid!

My credit card company allows me to check my charges on their web site. I don’t check often enough, but probably should just to catch something like this sooner!

Comment by Gary | November 12, 2011 | Reply
- you know Gary, this made me realize the importance of being diligent when it comes to these things and to paying attention to things. Seems like the crooks are a step ahead but that is one of the hazards of electronic stuff.
  
  Comment by Danlrene | November 12, 2011 | Reply

About Me

NOTE: Subscribe box is down below the mountain picture.

Those that know me know that this red sparkly headband is symbolic. When they see the headband on me, they know I am fighting hard physically. It is my symbolic Samson’s hair. It is getting my mojo on and geared up for robo mom to once more fight a battle. And the headband is on now and will be on for a long time. I live with my son who is my caretaker and I am so blessed.

Me with mojo on.

And when things are toughest, I will resort to my dreams to keep me going.

I am 63 and will soon be 64. Life has been a journey of health issues since I was 32 and got sprayed by a crop duster. I have warrior attitude. Being a warrior does not mean you always win. It means you never quit trying. Life is what you make it and I choose to make mine as happy as possible no matter where I am in life.

I spend a lot of time on this hospital bed due to constant pain but I am just thankful I have the hospital bed to lay on. I am disabled but I don’t let that stop me from living life and enjoying it. Life is what we make it and I choose to make mine happy.

Meet Daisy..that we call Miss Daisy. Thanks to Jill, a very special friend who is also has a Rescue for pets called Three Sisters and a Brother in NC, Daisy was transported to us and what a delight she is. About ten pounds and full of energy and love and kisses.

My baby

Son and Daisy

My world from my hospital bed-it is filled with warmth and love from so many.

I still dream of going back to Italy, of us having one of those mini buses with a lift for my chair that son can convert into a travel home for us to make it easier when I have to go to Denver for surgeries and stuff. I still dream of learning how to tap dance…yes even on these crutches just so I can say I did. All I need are a pair of size 11 tap shoes.

image from facebookemoticons123.blogspot.com

I draw, I paint, I write, I do photography…my latest love is the clouds for I see faces in the clouds all the time and have a blog at the top of the page entitled “Faces in the Clouds” I sit on a stool and help son cook…yes, often with him leaning over me to help me pour or stir but I get to do it. My philosophy is if you can’t do it one way…then create a new way. Son says I am the only person he knows that used their all terrain power chair like a back hoe…using a grain shovel and rake to move dirt or mulch in the garden. I would hold the handle between my legs and rake up the stuff on the two foot wide shovel and then go backwards dragging the shovel to where I wanted to dump it.

Ever since I was a little girl, I was told I was a dreamer. I can remember report cards with “day dreams” written on it. I think dreams are what keep us going. Without dreams…we have no hope.

Follow Your Dreams, The Siren Called Out To Me

As I closed my eyes and fell deep into lovely sleep.
The dream siren called me with a promise to keep

I closed my eyes and looked deep in my soul
I could feel the wind blowing…it was so very cold

My dreams I had carried through year after year
They will never come true was my biggest fear

Wandering up one lane and down another
Remembering my dream since I became a mother

Land, open land and a place to be free
A small house to live in with a big evergreen tree

We mounted the buckboard with all we owned inside
And started over the mountain on this crazy dream ride

We felt like pioneers racing to the finish line for land
And the whole time we knew -The Lord had our hand

So don’t be afraid to dream your dreams and try
Life is too short…open your wings up and fly

Dream I say and work the dream hard as you can
For it will be the best race that you ever ran.

We all have dreams of what we want out of life. I remember Laverne on Laverne and Laverne saying her dream was to have a purple cashmere sweater. Well, our dream is to own land in the country and have a simple life style unencumbered by so much of what is in the world today.

I love to write and have written for years. And hopefully will continue to write for many more years. My real name is Deb.

This blog is about our journey to get there, our life after we reached the promised land and different middle of the night ramblings. Dreams are like cooking…we might get our grandparents old recipes, but we tend to alter them to suit ourselves. But, dream we must…for as long as we have hope in life…we have dreams. And even plain ole everyday people get dreams that come true.

I hope you enjoy and will subscribe and share my journey. Come join us at the foothills of the mountains where we have found a life of simplicity and serenity, in spite of all the health trials of one disabled woman and the courage of a son that chose to take care of her.