Local Law Enforcement Discuss Card Skimmers

Monday, January 8th, 2024 -- 8:03 AM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) Another batch of credit card skimmers has been discovered in the Milwaukee area, prompting local officials to encourage residents to bypass the old magnetic-strip method in favor of tap-to-pay.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, authorities in Germantown say one such device was found on a self-checkout terminal at Sendik’s. Security camera footage from the store indicates the device had been on the machine for about two days before it was discovered. Footage shows two men working in tandem, with one making a small purchase before placing the device while the other creates a distraction.

Marathon County Sheriff’s Investigation Captain Jeff Stefonek says similar skimming devices have been found in the Wausau area, though they don’t have any current open investigations involving one. He adds that many credit and debit cards now have tap-to-pay options, which can be used to protect your data while you make a purchase.

“Wary credit card users should use the tap-to-pay option when available rather than the swipe option. Using the chip option is usually safe as well, but some machines require a person to fully insert their card to read the chip, which allows a skimmer to read the magnetic strip as if it were swiped,” said Stefonek.

Tap-to-pay bypasses the magnetic reader strip completely by creating a single-use data set between your payment account and the merchant. Because the physical card number isn’t used, criminals can’t access your account information to make future purchases.

Mobile payment options such as Google Wallet or Apple Pay use similar technology. Fraudsters will often place the devices in areas such as self-checkout terminals, gas pumps, or other locations that lack close supervision.

They usually work in teams, and will often stick to targets that are close to the interstate system to allow for a quick getaway.

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