Shoulder surfing is a strategy used by identity theft criminals to get hold of your ATM card's information. This is one of their conventional and low-technology methods that are still very effective despite the advancements in the field of banking.
It is important that you protect yourself from becoming victims of these ATM "skimming" scams. ATM scammers or identity thieves can easily track your ATM card's information and use it to obtain access to your account and make fraudulent transactions. Often, these scammers install a small device in the ATM machine like a surveillance camera that can easily read your card's information and have them stored so that they can access it later. These small devices are often called skimmers. They are too small to even be noticed and they are always installed in obscure places that are entirely unseen from plain view. Sometimes, these small devices are installed over the usual ATM card slot and it reads the
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Most skimmers and scammers are also identity thieves. They are the ones who steal your personal information for their own financial gain and often, when they get hold of one account or one aspect of your identity, they can get through the others.
To avoid being a victim of skimmers, scammers and identity theft criminals, here are some tips for you:
Transact only with secure ATM machines. These are machines that have surveillance videos or inside the bank lobby as they would often have security guards stationed on these areas. These ATM machines are less likely to be tampered with by identity theft criminals or scammers.
When keying in your PIN number, cover the ATM keypad with your hand or your body. This would protect your PIN number from being seen by surveillance videos, if ever there is installed on the ATM machine, or by shoulder surfers who stand behind you in the ATM