Springfield Police Urge Business to be Vigilant in Checking for Skimming Devices

Springfield, Mass. — The Springfield Police Department is urging businesses and vendors to be vigilant in checking for skimming devices.  The Springfield Police suggest businesses check their point-of-sale devices, ATM’s and gas pumps daily for skimming devices.  Customers can also protect themselves by checking for skimming devices before paying.

It is recommended never to use a debit card with a pin number unless absolutely necessary, instead choose the credit option.

Be cautious of using non-bank ATMs. FICO reports that 60% of skimming occurs at privately-owned ATMs.

Do a quick scan. Before using any machine, take a look to make sure it hasn’t been tampered with. If the card reader seems loose, crooked, or damaged that is a red flag.

Check the keypad. If the numbers are hard to press or feel thick, it might have a false keypad installed and you should move on to the next machine.

Block your PIN.  If you need to enter a PIN, cover the keypad with your other hand in case a camera is recording your number.

If you locate a skimming device alert a staff member or call the police immediately.